Creatures & Damsels: Roam on the Range
by Japan Boy
Summary: An extra bonus special & the finale of my Disney / Toho saga: an arranged get-together for Elsa, Merida & Rapunzel's groups in Arizona becomes a nightmare when an ancient evil from Navajo folklore resurfaces, & the only one who can stop it doesn't even believe in it despite the living proof. Kindly review if read.


For actors Nathan Fillion, Daphne Zuniga & Walton Goggins, who were the main inspirations for this story's characters

of Hal & Daphne Jenkins & Clyde Winchester (Nathan Fillion is best known for TV's 'Firefly', 'Serenity', 'The Rookie'

& voicing Green Lantern Hal Jordan in several animated DC Comics films; Daphne Zuniga is best known for TV's

'Melrose Place' & 'One Tree Hill' & movies such as 'The Fly II' & 'Spaceballs'; Walton Goggins is best known for

FX's 'The Shield' & 'Justified' & movies like 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation', 'Cowboys & Aliens', 'Predators' & others).

To the loving memory of Japanese actress Kin Sugai, who played Miss Ozawa as she fiercely argued with Diet Building

Committee member Mr. Oyama in 1954's 'Godzilla' (Kin Sugai also made an appearance in the 1958 kaiju film 'Giant

Monster Varan'. She passed away on August 10, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan at the age of 92. The cause of death is unknown).

**Reader's note:**

(Stay tuned after the story for a message to one & all)

**CREATURES & DAMSELS:**

**ROAM ON THE RANGE**

2019 by Anthony Ogozalek

**PROLOGUE**

_Skull Valley, Prescott National Forest, Arizona, Saturday, June 10__th__, 2017, 1:00 a.m.:_

On & on they raced across the plains of Arizona.

They've been racing for just over an hour, but neither one dared to slow their steeds down for even a second, for these men – a cowboy & his Navajo companion – weren't racing in competition with each other.

They're running because they're _scared_.

Immensely scared.

During an investigation of a slight earthquake that happened just last week, Gene & his Navajo friend Gabe were part of a team to check it out once the quakes subsided as suddenly as they began. When it first appeared, they were all stupefied that something like that could even exist in today's world. The men fired their weapons at it, but even their high-powered rifles/shotguns couldn't begin to slow it down.

The party started out with 24 men, some of which were Indians that occupied the land.

Now Gene & Gabe were all that was left.

Pushing their equestrians to the limit, they stayed ahead of what was chasing them to escape the horrible fate that befell their comrades. After searching with no luck for some kind of refuge in all that time, they finally see something which will give them comfort & safety from the creature that literally consumed their friends & the horses they rode in on.

A cave entrance stood only 50 feet away from their current position, & Gene & Gabe wasted no time entering it which was big enough for both them _and _their steeds. Stopping to a halt once they were inside, both men got off their rides & hushed them when they began whining in fear. Gene & Gabe listened intently for any sign of the creature that was in hot pursuit, be it footfalls or the blaring sound of its roar.

What felt like forever was only several minutes, with neither man hearing no sound in all that time.

Gene & his friend gave themselves another extra couple minutes before daring to venture out into the open, if for no more than to be certain the beast wasn't in the vicinity.

Feeling they've lost their giant quarry, Gene & Gabe very carefully & _quietly _stepped out of their sanctuary as each hoof & boot made the lowest sound as possible on the gravel they stood on: the last thing they wanted was to give away their position & attract the monster they've been so anxious to avoid.

Like a pair of thieves in the night, Gene & Gabe silently got back on their saddles & made their steeds travel in a slower, quieter pace than before while keeping an eye out.

Gene & Gabe got to about 100 yards from the safety of the cave before the horses started acting up again.

Just barely able to stop themselves from falling off their saddles, they worked frantically to settle their equestrians down before the worst-case scenario happens. But no matter what they try, the horses were far too riled up to be calmed by their riders, their fears rising & heartbeats palpitating like mad.

A sound of feet stepping on gravel caused both man & equestrian alike to stop in their tracks before turning their attention to its source in the blink of an eye. What they see is a sight that made their bodies feel like stone, unable to move except for their heads as they looked up from two massive three-toed feet with claws right to the top of its giant head. The faces on Gene & Gabe were white as ghosts.

Like a striking snake, the huge head lunged towards the men & opened up its massive maw filled with sharp teeth as man & equestrian were all gobbled up before their worlds went dark forever.

None of them had time to make even the slightest sound.

**CHAPTER I**

_Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, June 17__th__, 1:00 p.m., one week later:_

It started out as any other day in Japan's capital city.

Now it was invaded by a plethora of the most dangerous/deadly monsters to have ever set foot on the Earth: in Shinjuku, no less than five monsters were literally tearing up the town. First off was Space Godzilla, the alien double of Earth's greatest menace who's even more malevolent than the real thing; Destoroyah, the enormous creature that can split itself into multiple crab-like creatures & back again; Gigan, the cyborg monster with hooks for hands & a buzzsaw chest; Megalon, the giant beetle creature once the guardian of the Seatopians with drill halves for hands.

What's more, Godzilla himself has also joined the melee as he takes on both Destoroyah & his interstellar double, leaving Megalon & Gigan for Mechagodzilla to deal with. JSDF Commander Yoshi Shimazaki & United States Colonel Amanda Ernie sit in MG's cockpit, with Elsa Sugimoto & Olaf (in their respective suits) sitting in the compartment where MG's Absolute Zero Cannon resides.

Elsa's hands were in the cable attachments to the chair she sat in, ready to deploy her power.

Staring at the monitors, a sick dread struck their stomachs.

"I _love_ a gathering as much as the _next_ man…or snowman, but _this _is _ridiculous!_", Olaf said. "Where do we even _begin_ to clean house here?"

"With those Godzilla's _not _currently engaged in, Olaf!", Elsa said, nodding towards Megalon & Gigan.

"And _that's_ where we'll start, Elsa!", Amanda said. "Shall we give these guys a missile shower, Yoshi?"

"Exactly what _I _was thinking, Amanda!", he replied. "Let's bring these two down to earth before Elsa can give them the cold shoulder! On my mark…"

Yoshi & Amanda get ready to press the buttons that will make missiles fly as Megalon & Gigan get closer.

When they get within 20 meters, Yoshi gives the word.

"_Now!_"

As one, he & Amanda press the buttons & unleash a salvo of missiles from MG's shoulder ports, each one going straight for targeted monsters. Gigan & Megalon get peppered all over their bodies with explosions that made them cry out in pain & frustration before retaliating with their beams: Gigan from his red cyclops eye, Megalon from the crest on his head that ended with a star. Their beams hit MG in the chest, rocking the robot & its occupants.

"How bad are we?", Yoshi called out.

"About 10% damage, but we're still good!", Amanda replied. "Megalon & Gigan, however, are hardly fazed at all, & here in the air, they're in their element!"

"Then let's get them grounded! Elsa…"

"Ready to go, Yoshi!", Elsa said. "Just say the word!"

Yoshi watched the monitors to see Megalon & Gigan circling for another simultaneous attack. From the looks of it, both monsters intend to make a double ramming & give MG extensive damage.

_That's what _they _think!_, Yoshi thought.

"The word, Elsa, is _now!_", he cried as they get within 35 meters of MG.

In an instant, Mechagodzilla raised its arms with palms sticking out, each one facing the approaching monsters as they hone in on their faces. Elsa gives each monster a face full of ice that blinds them, causing Megalon & Gigan to lose their sense of balance & plummet to Earth; Megalon landed onto the Shinjuku-mura Studio building, pulverizing it with his weight, while Gigan demolishes the Book-1 Shinjuku branch structure, sending it to the same fate as debris spilled the streets. They take down several of Space Godzilla's crystals that grew from the ground in the process.

"Excellent, Elsa!", Amanda praised. "Now…freeze them both while they're down for the count!"

"You got it, Amanda!", Elsa replied as MG aimed its hands downward at Megalon & Gigan, both of whom were groggy from the fall's impact. But, dazed as he was, Gigan managed to get to his feet & take to the air just as Elsa's ice struck the spot he was at a second ago, leaving a portion of it encased in her power.

Megalon, however, was not so fortunate: he was frozen solid as he rose to his knees in a position that was like a twisted reflection of the iconic Thinker statue, sculpted by French artist Auguste Rodin. His icy form was blasted into frozen bits by Mechagodzilla's wrist-mounted maser guns, scattering the remains everywhere.

_One down, four to go!_, Amanda thought.

Their brief victory was interrupted by Gigan's strike by his right hook hand, startling the crew. Gigan then grabs MG in a bear hug as he uses his eye beam to scorch the robot's surface as systems inside go haywire.

"What's our status?!", Yoshi cried out.

"Damage level 18% & climbing!", Amanda replied. "If this keeps up, Gigan will disable us!"

Elsa looked at the screens to see if there was a way out of their predicament. What catches her eye is Godzilla engaged with his alien double & Destoroyah, both of whom were giving the Monster King a serious thrashing as he got bombarded mercilessly by Space Godzilla's crystal missiles & Corona beam, followed by Destoroyah's micro-oxygen beam; even by fighting back with his heat ray & occasional tail slaps, Godzilla was taking a pounding & looked to be on the verge of collapsing from the onslaught.

It gave the Snow Queen an idea, & Olaf was the first to announce it orally, having seen the situation himself.

"Hey you guys!", he says. "There's a way for us to get two pigeons with one brick!"

"That's actually 'two _birds_ with one _stone_', Olaf!", Elsa corrected.

"Meh…close enough", Olaf said, smiling. Elsa did the same.

"In any case, you must've read our minds, Elsa, Olaf!", Yoshi says. "Hold tight back there: we're about to give Gigan a crash course…literally!"

Nodding to Amanda, both pilots set course for the nearest target – Destoroyah – as the cockpit shook from having a stowaway that wouldn't let go.

The crew was counting on it: Gigan & Destoroyah were so fixated on their foes that neither see each other until they were body-slammed, causing Mechagodzilla to be jarred along with the crew by the impact. But while their bones rattled (for those that _have _bones), their tactic worked: Gigan was forcefully removed from MG's frame as Destoroyah was knocked down to the ground, which shook underneath his tremendous bulk Both monsters cried out in surprise as they were unintentionally bombarded by electric voltage from Space Godzilla's crystals, who unleashed his fury at the robot version of the Monster King. The effect was devastating, especially for Gigan as he suffered more from the strike due to his bionics in conjunction with his alien flesh. Its jolt was powerful enough to cause Gigan to spew silver fluid from his mouth & buzzsaw chest as he unleashed a boisterous metallic screech that echoed throughout Tokyo.

His crimson eye smokes & cracks before detonating from within, unleashing more of his alien body fluids.

Roasting from within by Space Godzilla's crystals, Gigan spewed a glob of liquid & fell dead to the ground.

But while Gigan was roasted alive, Destoroyah was merely unscathed sans a brief tingling: letting out an angry screech of a roar, he took to the skies & went in pursuit of Mechagodzilla, whose crew saw the bulky behemoth coming straight for them.

Amanda, Yoshi & Elsa weren't concerned by his approach.

Olaf was another story.

"Uh, you guys…why are we just floating in this same spot when about 80,000 metric tons of monster blubber is heading directly for us?", Olaf asked, the worry clear in his voice. "This isn't a sumo wrestling match, you know."

Elsa just smiled, staring at the screen.

"Don't worry, Olaf…we've got something special planned _just _for him", she says.

Destoroyah kept advancing, spewing his micro-oxygen beam at MG, causing it to shake but the robot held firm.

The closer he gets, the more nervous Olaf becomes.

His heart would be racing like mad at this point…if he _had _an actual beating heart.

Yoshi, Amanda & Elsa kept their composure as the nightmarish Destoroyah flew in faster, raising its tail.

Like a cougar, the MG crew watch & wait patiently for the moment to act.

Once Destoroyah gets within striking range, they do so without hesitation: Mechagodzilla moves to the left in a speed which belied its great size, same as with Destoroyah as he lashed out with his tail in an attempt to snatch MG by the throat & drag it across the sky. The MG crew anticipated such a maneuver: when Destoroyah passed by & lashed out, Mechagodzilla grabbed it with both hands & held firm. Giving it a hard pull, Destoroyah was halted in his tracks by a move that stunned & surprised him. Roaring his defiance, the bulky behemoth tried pulling away from his robotic enemy with all his might, but he was caught like a fish on a hook & he fights with the ferocity of a wild buck at a rodeo.

No matter what he tries, Destoroyah could not free himself.

And his micro-oxygen beam is useless, since he cannot turn his head around like a person could.

"Perfect! We have Destoroyah _right _where we want him!", Elsa said. "Open the chest port, guys!"

Amanda presses a button that performs exactly that chore as MG's chest opens up like a metal flower.

"They're open, Elsa…_let him have it!_", she called out.

Elsa wastes no time: she unleashed her power through the machine & out the blue sphere in the chest's center as a thick stream of blue-white energy shoots forth & buffets Destoroyah in the back, freezing him into a solid ice statue in a matter of seconds from head to tail.

His body now just frozen weight, Mechagodzilla releases Destoroyah's icy form & lets hm plummet to earth. The impact shattered the behemoth into large chunks of ice that litter the streets as vacated buildings & vehicles get flattened instantly.

"You know, that isn't very sporting…attacking somebody from the back", Olaf said.

Elsa gave him a playfully dubious look.

"But for _him_, I guess we can make an exception!", Olaf finished, smiling innocently as Elsa grinned.

"Good work, Elsa!", Yoshi said. "Now…let's go see about giving a hand to Godzilla with his evil twin!"

Looking at the monitors, the Snow Queen sees Godzilla getting pummeled badly by Space Godzilla's crystals & corona beam despite the loss of Gigan & Destoroyah, to which he was oblivious.

Aside from his grudge against her, Elsa couldn't stand seeing the Monster King receive punishment like this: she knew that between the two of them, the Earth-born Godzilla is the lesser of two evils.

It _is _time to lend him a hand.

"Let's get rolling, Yoshi!", Elsa said.

Mechagodzilla put on all burners & headed straight for the final two monsters.

Using the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building as a source of earthly power & surrounded on all sides by his crystals, Space Godzilla draws more energy as he keeps his unrelenting barrage on Godzilla, who roars in anguish & rage from the torture he's receiving from his alien counterpart. The Monster King fired his heat ray at his foe, but the alien monstrosity simply puts up a defensive crystal shield & reflects it back at him, scorching his flesh.

Space Godzilla struck back with his corona beam, doing even further damage to his downed enemy before being struck himself by a cluster of missiles from MG's shoulder ports. The alien Godzilla roared in defiance as he looked up & saw Godzilla's robot double charging in, firing its maser beam from its maw. Again, the crystal shield that protects Space Godzilla appeared & deflects the projectile back at the robot. The crew was jarred but otherwise unhurt.

His attention now on the robot, Space Godzilla surrounds himself with energy before rising up like a giant balloon & launches several crystal projectiles that head directly for Mechagodzilla.

"We've got incoming!", Yoshi said. "Fire all maser weapons!"

On his command, MG unleashes its masers from its mouth & forearm guns, blasting whatever crystals they could hit as each they do end up in fiery explosions. But for every one they detonate, many more take their place, & the crew can see the futility of it. Some even exploded on or near Mechagodzilla, rocking the crew.

"There's too many of them to take down at this rate, but I have an idea!", Amanda said. "Hold tight, everyone!"

Before Yoshi could ask what she has in mind, Amanda put MG in flight as she heads _away _from Space Godzilla & his missile barrage. Looking at the monitors, she can see the crystal projectiles following them. When she made MG do a sudden U-turn in midair & head straight for Space Godzilla with the missiles still in pursuit, Yoshi & the rest had caught on with her plan.

_Perfect! Just what I was counting on!_, Amanda thought gleefully.

Mechagodzilla kept charging Space Godzilla even when the alien spat his corona beam at it, doing little damage when it struck.

"Well…it _is _nice to return one's property, I always say!", Olaf quipped.

"How true, Olaf!", Elsa says, smiling. "Space Godzilla can _have _his crystals back…"

As Mechagodzilla got within 10 meters from Space Godzilla, the robot veered away in a maneuver/speed that surprised the alien beast just seconds before he gets bombarded by his own projectiles as explosions peppered his body, causing him to cry out in pain & shock.

"Because _we _definitely don't want them!", Elsa finished as Olaf gave her a thumbs-up gesture, making her smile.

"Good thinking there, Amanda!", Yoshi said. "We gave Space Godzilla a taste of his own nasty medicine! Now, let's strike him while he's dazed! Get the drill ready!"

Nodding, Amanda pushed a button & MG's right hand transforms into a pointed drill which starts spinning.

"Great, Yoshi!", Olaf said. "Let's give Space Godzilla some _dental _work…_without _any anesthetic!"

"Actually, Olaf…I was thinking more like open heart surgery!", Yoshi says, explaining the plan of attack.

"Oooh, that's even _better!_", Olaf replied in a semi-wicked sense with a face to match.

He immediately sets Mechagodzilla in motion & rams the robot's bulk into Space Godzilla, just as he descends back down to Earth. Extending its drill hand, the weapon penetrates Space Godzilla's flesh where his heart would be & rips away pieces larger than boulders. Godzilla's alien double bellowed in pain as the drill bit into him while being pushed back into the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, demolishing it to its foundation along with the crystals set around it. Tons of concrete, glass & steel came crashing down as Space Godzilla loses his main source for power on Earth. A Mexican Standoff of corona & maser beams followed, showering both combatants in the face, neck & chest areas as sparks emerge.

Something caught Elsa's eye, & she makes it known to her crew.

"Yoshi, Amanda…open Mechagodzilla's left hand port, quick!", she requested.

Both pilots see where MG's left hand is over, & they get the idea as Amanda grants Elsa's request.

"It's done, Elsa…_do it!_", she says.

Mechagodzilla's left hand was placed over Space Godzilla's right shoulder crystal, & once MG's palm is open, Elsa didn't hesitate: a stream of ice came through & struck the massive crystal that made up Space G's right shoulder. Even its density couldn't stand up to the intense cold of Elsa's power, intensified by MG itself. In seconds, the crystal shattered into a million pieces like it was made of glass, causing great pain to the alien creature. In retaliation, Space Godzilla lunged forward & shot forth his corona beam, striking MG just above the chest.

This attack was more violent, & the crew shook inside.

"Amanda, let's put some distance between us before he _really _does some damage!", Yoshi says.

"Copy that!", she replied.

As one, the pilots work to get MG away from Space G just in time to avoid a swipe by the alien monster's tail. As Space Godzilla turned to face his metallic adversary, he gets struck in his remaining shoulder crystal…

By the _real _Godzilla, who has gotten his second wind & fires his heat ray at his alien foe while getting to his feet.

In moments, Space G's left shoulder crystal meets the same fate as the first.

Space Godzilla lets out another screeching roar that echoed throughout Tokyo, his whole body starting to glow.

"Looks like _Godzilla's _just as tired of seeing double like _we _are, guys!", Olaf says.

"Then let's give him a hand in putting his evil reflection down for good, Olaf!", said Yoshi. "Get ready to let loose with our missiles & masers, Amanda!"

Pressing buttons & flicking switches, Yoshi's co-pilot announced that the armaments were set & ready to go.

"Open fire…and don't let up!", Yoshi says.

Mechagodzilla let loose with his masers & missiles aimed at Space Godzilla, with the real deal doing so himself with his heat ray as the alien monster gets bombarded everywhere, his body briefly disappearing in a cloud of smoke. His body was still glowing with energy, flickering on & off like a light that was about to die out for good.

He began to glow even brighter & longer the more he's struck by Godzilla & his robot double.

Space Godzilla tried to fight back with his corona beam, but in his weakened state, it was a futile effort: the beam had little to no effect on either combatant.

Finally, after two minutes of merciless pounding, Space Godzilla's weakened body could take no more, & so he detonates like a living bomb, scattering himself everywhere before becoming nothing more than a pile of golden dust which rises into the sky, followed by a dying screech from the horrible twin of Godzilla as the real thing lets out a roar of victory.

But for the MG crew, _their _victory could not be celebrated just yet: having Megalon, Gigan, Destoroyah _and _now Space Godzilla out of the way, the real Monster King turns his attention to his robot twin & fires his heat ray at its chest. Its power rocked everyone inside, & the metal of Mechagodzilla charred black from the hit. Godzilla fired his primary weapon several more times at his robot enemy, only to miss each time, if barely.

"Oh, so it's like _that_, is it?", Olaf scoffed. "You _traitor!_"

"He's not a puppy you can train to behave, Olaf!", Elsa says. "Whatever his reasons for attacking _us _now, we need to get him out of Tokyo before he _levels _it!"

"She's right, Yoshi!", Amanda said. "Godzilla can bring this city down all on his own! How should we do that without _us _causing too much property damage?"

"Let's get him to Tokyo Bay!", Yoshi says. 'But first…"

The JSDF commander pressed a button to fire more missiles from MG's shoulder ports, racing towards Godzilla as he launched his weapon at the oncoming salvo, exploding many in midair. Those that _did _get through hardly slowed him down, but that wasn't their objective: while missiles exploded on his body, Godzilla was grabbed by MG when it swooped in like a bird of prey in pursuit of a mouse. Mechagodzilla took hold of the monster's left arm & mouth, so as to prevent him from utilizing his primary weapon. For extra measure, MG's ports opened up to unleash thick titanium cables which wrapped themselves around Godzilla to immobilize him as much as possible.

Mechagodzilla traveled south, passing districts like Shibuya, Shinagawa, Ota & Kawasaki before flying over out into Tokyo Bay.

Godzilla was held firm the whole time, & no matter how hard he fought, he could not get loose or even use his weapon to melt the cables that bind him.

Only when they were in parallel with the area of Tateyama did Yoshi order for Godzilla's release: with the press of a button, the cables detached from the main body which put Godzilla into freefall as he made a tremendous splash in the water. Mechagodzilla made a U-turn to put itself between the country & Godzilla, who now resurfaces with an ear-splitting roar of rage. He eyed his robot twin just like the MG crew do with him.

"Okay, we got him out into the water", Amanda says. "Where do we go from here?"

Yoshi silently pondered in his mind on how to proceed when Elsa interrupted.

"Yoshi, Amanda…raise Mechagodzilla's arms, palms out, & leave the rest to me", she says.

The two pilots exchanged a look.

"Elsa…are you _sure _you can handle it?", Yoshi asked.

"I can", she replied. "Please…trust me."

"Besides…this is what she signed up for, remember?", Olaf added, getting a smile from Elsa in gratitude.

With nothing else to say, Yoshi & Amanda got Mechagodzilla to raise his arms how Elsa wished them to be. It was a clear sign to Godzilla that his enemy was about to attack, so he went on the offensive first by firing his heat ray. Elsa retaliates by firing her ice from both of MG's palms, striking the projectile at the base & engaging in a test of strength. Elsa's ice melted away where Godzilla's ray touched, but neither combatant gave in as the standoff intensified by the second.

Using what strength she had, Elsa was barely able to reach Godzilla once she overpowered his weapon & struck him in the chest – a move that completely stunned the Monster King. Godzilla's chest was encased in ice but was easily broken off by a powerful rake of his claws. This act only got him another shot in the chest by Elsa's ice, which actually drove Godzilla back from the Japanese mainland. Again Godzilla shattered his ice armor, getting yet _another _attack at that same area & driving him away even further. Once Godzilla tried using his heat ray, but that also was thwarted by Elsa's attacks as she briefly froze his jaws together before Godzilla shattered it.

Their scuffle went on for three minutes, with Godzilla losing more ground than he was gaining.

Finally, they ceased hostilities & stared at each other for several moments. Tensions inside were so thick that one could cut it with a knife, but no one dared to make a move against their opponent.

Whatever came next would be the choice for Godzilla to make, & Godzilla only.

Every time there was this standoff with Godzilla, it had always reminded Elsa of all the times she & the Monster King squared off whenever their paths crossed: Moscow, Paris, Los Angeles, Osaka _and _Tokyo. For each encounter, Elsa felt stiff, nervous, nauseous & even scared: she can _never _predict what Godzilla will do once he knows the Snow Queen is nearby, & every encounter they have doesn't make the situation any easier.

Godzilla makes his choice: without so much as a grunt, he turns away from Mechagodzilla & starts swimming out into the open water, leaving his robot double & the city behind.

The MG crew breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"We did it", Amanda said as Yoshi nodded proudly.

"Simulation, stop!", Yoshi called out in his tongue.

"_Acknowledged. Simulation ending now_", said a female computer voice as the lights shone within the simulation cockpits the MG crew were operating in, unfastening their belts & rising from their seats.

In another part of the JSDF base located on the outskirts of Tokyo, the rest of the Sugimoto family, United States General Danielle Hale, Russian police & Red Army Colonels Boris Romanoff & Malvina Semenov, Ambassador Sergei Yeltsin & his new bodyguard named Anastasia – a female with a slim body & brown hair that reached her shoulders – were all sitting in a room resembling a large movie theater, watching the actions of the MG crew & the scenario of the monsters in Tokyo on the giant screen that looked most life-like, even with the use of CGI.

At Yoshi's command, the theater turned from dark to light in a second, enabling the group to find the door & exit to find Yoshi, Amanda, Elsa, Olaf & Sven waiting outside for them.

Like a happy puppy, Sven wagged his tail as Kristoff came to him.

"So, how'd it _go _in there?", Kristoff said in his 'Sven voice'.

"In _my _opinion, buddy, it was quite a show!", Kristoff said normally. "But let's ask _them _for the _real _scoop."

"In short, Kristoff, Elsa did her best to date…_especially _against _Godzilla_", Yoshi said, removing his helmet as Amanda & Elsa themselves do.

"Using her power to drive him away from Tokyo rather than putting him on ice like she did the other monsters", General Hale said. "At least Godzilla was smart enough to call it a day & head towards the open seas."

"I know Godzilla sees the Earth as his territory like _we_ do, so I just thought it best to send him a message that the fight was over & done with", Elsa stated. "But you're right: it _was _successful, unlike those _early _times when I first..."

"Elsa", General Hale said, interrupting & approaching her. "We didn't _expect _your early attempts to go well: we _know _you're quite reluctant to place Godzilla in cold storage despite the resentment you both share towards each other. But you've learned how to get _around _that, engaging Godzilla just enough without resorting to ice encasement like you did all the _other _creatures the simulator creates. The end result? You both survive & then part ways to continue fighting another day. If you can accomplish that feat on the _simulator_, you can do so in a _real_ conflict."

Elsa pondered Danielle's words: the first several attempts she went against the simulated Godzilla proved to be a failure, having getting 'destroyed' by Godzilla, either by heat ray or physical combat. But Yoshi, Amanda nor even Olaf got angry with her: they simply gave her advice on how to dodge those errors, along with repeated tries after.

In no time, Elsa performed _much _better as time went on, & today was no exception.

"Point taken, General", Elsa said. "And while I _did _perform well against the likes of Gigan, Mecha-King Ghidorah in Los Angeles, along with Diablo & Necrosan in Osaka back in November, I knew these training sessions _are_ to help me confront Godzilla better, should it ever come to that for real in the future – which I have no doubts of."

"Sis, you've done swell against giant beasts _long _before that, beginning with when Megalon attacked our original home in Arendelle all those years ago!", Anna adds. "I _knew _you'd pass with flying colors…well, eventually."

Hidemi, Akemi, Emiko, Malvina & Anastasia giggled softly while everyone else grinned.

"Touche, Anna", Elsa replied. "But Danielle & the rest are right: these sessions _do _help increase my performance out on the battlefield, especially when it means saving lives."

"Da, Elsa Sugimoto", Boris says. "In Mother Russia, we do same with our _own _figures of authority, be it military, Spetsnaz, _or_ police. They train countless hours to adapt & react to situation that ensures lives of civilians rescued from ones that wish them harm. What you do here in simulation sessions is no different."

"Speaking of…", Malvina says. "Your simulator system is _quite _the marvel here, Yoshi! It's an _excellent _method on training your people to combat giant monsters whenever the need arises! How you create the monsters to act as they would in actual life is nothing short of astonishing!"

"Domo arigato, Malvina", Yoshi says. "With Tajima's help, we built the simulator to make the monsters as life-like as possible. Plus, with each new session we train in, they get changed so nobody can predict what these simulated creatures will do or perform, let alone which ones show up. Example: one week the crew could be facing Megaguirus, the next they might face King Ghidorah, & so forth. The scenery _also _changes along with the monsters: New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Moscow, Tokyo – any area on Earth you can think of, we can display it."

"Very ingenious, Commander Yoshi", Sergei said. "By changing the scenarios often, it keeps combatants on their toes & their wits sharp so that they can be a better person than they were the other day. I do believe _we _should consider using this same method for those scheduled to pilot & operate MOGUERA once we return to Mother Russia. And _on _the subject of MOGUERA…"

"You four wish to see how the repairs are going on your robot?", Tajima asked as Sergei & his party nodded. "I do believe we can accommodate you on that. What do _you _say, Yoshi?"

"You read my mind, Tajima", Yoshi says. "You can also see how _Mechagodzilla's _holding up while we're at it since their fight in Osaka seven months ago. But first…"

The JSDF commander heads over to Olaf, who was still in his specialized suit as Yoshi kneels down.

"Time to come out, Olaf", he says.

"Aw, can't I just stay in here the whole time, Yoshi?", Olaf asked. "It's like a comfortable glove!"

Yoshi chuckled & grinned.

"Sorry, little guy", he says. "While I _did _construct it to _your _specifications, this suit is _still _property of the JSDF."

"Bummer", Olaf replied with a sad frown.

"Don't worry, though: there'll be _more _training sessions in the future, so you'll be back in this thing before you know it."

Olaf perked up immediately.

"I can live with that!", he said, smiling as Yoshi pressed the button that opened the suit up to allow the snowman out, the frost coming out like smoke before Yoshi switched it off. Elsa immediately recreated the little snow cloud over his head.

Olaf checked himself with his stick hands.

"Oh dear…did I gain weight?", he wondered, getting snickers from the rest.

"Ready to see the robots, little guy?", Amanda asked.

The cheerful look on Olaf's face was all the answer they need, & they proceeded to head directly for the docking area where said machines were both stationed at. Yoshi entered the code that allowed the double doors to open as the platform leading in greeted them, along with the sounds of operating machinery. Walking across the platform, the group get a better view of Mechagodzilla & MOGUERA standing like statues as maintenance crews fix the damaged areas on each mechanical monstrosity. Both machines were near completion & close to looking like they'd never seen battle.

It was a point Akemi made clear orally.

"If it weren't for the slight areas of damage, you would never believe these two machines had been in combat", she stated.

"We certainly worked hard to get them in top shape soon as we could, Akemi", Yoshi says. "Thankfully, there haven't been any monster sightings or attacks since Osaka back in November, so we _all_ got a lucky break."

Elsa & Anastasia stared at Mechagodzilla as if hypnotized by it.

"Elsa Sugimoto", Anastasia says, getting her attention. "Forgive curiosity, but…how does it _feel _to interact with Godzilla robot?"

"It felt a little strange at first", she replied after a moment or two. "But during my first battle in Los Angeles when we went against Mecha-King Ghidorah & Gigan, I felt, shall we say, _connected_ to Mechagodzilla, especially when I saw that Yoshi made a seat for my specifications like what he did for Olaf & his suit. Right next to my family & friends, being inside that machine makes me feel so…alive."

"Sound answer from one who was originally from centuries past. You, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf & your _other _friends who are _also _from long-ago time have definitely found place in modern world. I am most honored to have known you people from past time."

"The feeling is mutual with us, Anastasia", said Kristoff. "If there's anyone capable of Nikolai's replacement to entrust with our secret, it's you. You've made his memory _very_ proud."

"Same as with General Ronald Len Ernie: like Nikolai, he is gone in body but never in spirit. He made correct choice making Elsa Sugimoto Mechagodzilla member. Right, Mr. Ambassador?"

When Sergei didn't reply, the group turned to see the Russian ambassador, Boris & Malvina over to where their robot – MOGUERA – stood at, checking over the repair work the Japanese techs were performing.

Only when they heard their approaching footsteps did Sergei & his party notice their friends.

"Our apologies, comrades", Boris says. "We merely wished for closer look at repair work on _our _giant machine. Of what we can see, it looks close to completion. What is current percentage rate of repairs, if I may ask?"

"Last I checked, Boris, both robots are at 90% completion", Yoshi stated. "We predict they should be at 100% by summer's end."

The four Russians face each other in silence, but they knew what was on their minds.

"Yoshi, is MOGUERA capable of flight at this time?", Malvina asked.

"Several technicians say it is, although its fighting capability is impaired until it's completely fixed", he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"We are _most _grateful to you & your staff for fixing our weapon, but at this point, we'd like to take MOGUERA back home to our Mother Russia to have the last 10% fixed by _our _technicians…_if _you wouldn't mind, that is."

"Your country _misses _its giant protector, is that it?"

"Pretty much. Our government is _wondering _on the fate of MOGUERA, & every day it's _absent _from our beloved Mother Russia makes them worried, as well as feeling all but defenseless without it."

Yoshi looked at MOGUERA & gave it thought, which was only for a few moments.

"I can certainly understand that, Malvina", he says. "I'll have to get in contact with our _own _government to order its clearance, but I _still_ see no reason as to why they would deny your request, Malvina. I shall personally see to having it arranged so that you folks can use MOGUERA to take you back home when you're ready to go."

"We shall make departure tomorrow morning", Boris said. "Spasibo, commander."

Yoshi nodded appreciatively.

"So this is goodbye, then?", Tajima asked.

"It would appear so, professor Sugimoto", Sergei said as the family gather round. "We thank you all for such a _wonderful _two-week tour of your beloved Tokyo, finished off by a grand showing of Mechagodzilla crew at their finest, simulated or not." Sergei turned to Emiko & smiled. "And how nice for _you _& your sister Akemi to be the leaders of our tour, my lisichka."

"Dou itashimashite, Sergei", Emiko said. "Which basically means…"

"Means 'you're welcome'. Da, I've been learning several words in _your _language myself as you people have of ours, Emiko."

"Another reason _why _you're the best ambassador Russia's ever had, Sergei."

Sergei grinned as he & Emiko embraced, with the latter planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Elsa Sugimoto", Sergei says. "Next time you & your group meet up with your friends from England & America, please tell them we send our very best, won't you?"

"When next we run into Merida, Rapunzel & the others, we'll be sure to do that, Sergei", Elsa replied.

"You'll be getting to do exactly that tomorrow, Elsa", Hidemi said, walking up to the Arendelle trio. "We've all spoken to Gus, Patricia & Nathan, & they've arranged for a get-together – just like we discussed last year. Remember?"

"So…it's that time again, Hidemi?", Kristoff asked.

"Hai, Kristoff. Unlike the times in Moscow & Paris, this will be strictly you three, both Merida & Elinor, & also Eugene & Rapunzel. The rest of us will be absent this time so you all can get that feeling of being back home in your own, regular times." Hidemi gestured them closer & placed her hands on Elsa & Kristoff's shoulders. "We _know _how much you love your adopted families, _and _that we love you right back with all our hearts. But being people out of time & place, you all _need _this…very much."

"Elsa", Yoshi cut in. "We need to do some upgrades to the simulators anyway, so it's quite okay. And Hidemi _is _correct: you folks _do _need _some_ semblance of being back home in your original times."

The Arendelle trio didn't need any further persuasion: ever since being taken in by the Sugimoto family, they've done nothing but make sure they got a good home & help them adapt to the era they awoke in after 225 years in perfect frozen hibernation. And learning they weren't the _only _ones that arrived into the 21st Century from a long-distant past, spending time with them only fuels the need.

It was a no-brainer, & they knew it.

"Sven & Olaf will be joining us, won't they?", Kristoff asked.

"We've already got Sven's transport crate ready, so Olaf can travel along with…", Tajima started to say.

"Actually, Tajima…I'll be staying behind", Olaf says, surprising everyone.

"Olaf…you're actually passing up the chance to see Rapunzel & the others, including Pascal, of whom you're so fond of?", Anna asks. "Why? _You're _as much out of place & time as _we _are."

"Yeah, I know, Anna. But I was thinking of making _this _gathering snowman-free. I can always wait until the _next _one. If that's okay."

Everyone smiled at Olaf's generosity.

"I gotta say, Olaf: you may be made of snow, but you really _are _all warm & fuzzy on the inside!", Kristoff says.

His comment made Olaf blush but swelling with pride.

"Domo arigato, Olaf", Anna said, turning back to Hidemi. "So…where will you be sending us to, Hidemi?"

Hidemi smiled before explaining the details with her hubby & daughters.

**CHAPTER II**

_London, England, 8:00 p.m.:_

The country's capital was still in great ruins from the destruction caused by the gargantuan hominoids Gaira & Sanda when they fought the mutant octopus creature last year on St. Patrick's Day, but progress in rebuilding the city was going well despite having much work yet to do. Like they did during World War II, however, it still didn't stop Londoners from attending their businesses/jobs during the day, followed by enjoying their nights afterwards: one such place for having good times was the Steel Yard Nightclub, one of the first places rebuilt after the monsters' horrendous rampage. It helped to give people – especially the young – a semblance of normalcy once the octopus was defeated & Gaira & Sanda left the city via the Thames River.

Its existence was essential in helping the city recuperate from a harrowing experience.

On this particular evening, the nightclub is Merida Fleming's destination.

Attired in a sparkling red dress & shoes with golden sword earrings, Merida walked down Upper Thames Street until she approached the narrow alleyway that will bring her to the entrance.

"I see the club's entrance & heading for it now", Merida spoke into her earpiece mic.

"_Copy that, love. Notify me soon as you see your target_", Gus said over the comm.

"Understood."

Merida approached & entered the doors which took her inside, the sound of music audible even through closed doors. Immediately she was stopped by two men in black suits who stuck their arms out. While hidden beneath, Merida could tell that they were armed with guns.

"Whoa, miss!", the first goon said. "This here's a _private _party, & _that _means…"

"Invitation only? I think _this _qualifies", Merida says, holding up a slip of paper for the men to see.

The second man took the slip & checked it over thoroughly, his partner eyeing it & Merida cautiously.

After careful inspection, the second man nodded his approval as they lowered their arms.

They even smiled.

"Sorry, love…just making sure, is all", thug #2 says. "Go on inside & enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, sir…I do believe I shall", Merida says elegantly with a smile before making her way to the door that will take her into the heart of the party.

As soon as she opened it, she was blasted by the full volume of the song currently playing – 'Money for Nothing' by Dire Straits – filling her ears, along with the cheers of the people within.

It was nearly deafening.

_Good god! And I always thought the Dingwall, MacGuffin, Macintosh & my own DunBroch clans were loud & boisterous…and _that's _truly _saying _something!_, thought Merida as her ears adjusted.

Despite the relentless attack of thunderous music to her hearing, Merida still remembered her task & proceeded in searching for what – or in _this _case, _who _– she came in to find. Even though the entire room was decorated to the brim with streamers, balloons & the like, along with a large banner hanging overhead that read 'Happy 20th Birthday, Johnny Briggs!', her target was nowhere to be seen. She checked through the raucous crowd of youths who danced like there was no tomorrow, ate food, enjoyed drinks & even the occasional harassment of girls from the boys.

Merida had no success for ten-fifteen whole minutes.

Finally, going to the head of the club, she spots her quarry: a young man in a blue suit, black shoes & tie, white undershirt & short-cropped blonde hair sat in a chair with several other guys by his side. Each of them were watching a plethora of women dancing in front of them, each one trying to win his approval.

So far, they've all failed.

Merida, however, was determined not to.

"Gus! Gus, can you hear me?", she spoke into her mini comm over the music.

"_I certainly can, love! Any luck?_", Gus replied in her ear.

"Luck of the Irish, you might say: target is in sight! Am now proceeding with phase two of the plan!"

"_Good girl! Get that little fish hooked so we can reel him in!_"

"You just leave _that _to _me! _Sending out my line now…"

Merida started approaching her quarry as she spoke, signing off.

Johnny watched – with little to no interest – at the current girl dancing in front of him & his friends to the song 'Don't Stop the Dance' by Bryan Ferry. When it was done, the girl looked to Johnny, seeing if she won his approval.

She didn't.

Pouting, she stormed off in contempt as Johnny's friend sighed.

"Gee whiz, Johnny! That's already the 19th girl you've rejected this evening!", said one boy.

"Yeah, dude! Isn't there _anyone _in this whole place that could satisfy you & be your big date this evening?", asks another. "This _is _your special day, after all – what's a birthday _king_ without his _queen_ at his side?"

"Maybe _I _can be Johnny's birthday present this evening, boys!", Merida said as Johnny & his gang looked up to see the young lady in red appear before them, her eyes all dazzling & staring directly at the guest of honor. Immediately Johnny stared back as if Merida's gaze got him under her spell, with Merida flashing her eyes & smiling seductively at the birthday boy.

Johnny could tell he hit the jackpot, something Merida hoped for.

"All right then, love! Let's see what _you _got!", Johnny says, grinning.

Nodding, Merida began dancing to Tina Turner's 'Private Dancer' with all the grace & elegance she could muster. Johnny & his friends were mesmerized by Merida's moves, & their eyes never wavered even for a second, & Merida kept _her _eyes on the prize, getting him deeper under her spell.

A big smile came from Johnny's lips.

"_She _sure looks like a keeper, Johnny!", said one boy.

"_I'll _say she does! Gentlemen…we have a _winner!_", Johnny announced as he stood up & his friends cheered.

_He took the bait! Perfect!_, Merida thought happily with a smile.

Johnny held out his hand as Merida did the same, taking his.

"So…what's _your _name, love?", Johnny asked elegantly.

"Why don't we go somewhere more…private, & I just might reveal it to you", Merida says indifferently.

The birthday boy's heart skipped a beat, barely able to contain his joy as his friends gave a chorus of 'oooh'.

"I _love _the way you _think_, my dear!", Johnny says, grinning. "I know _just _the place for some privacy! If you'll just follow me…"

_Count on it!_, Merida thought as she adjusted her ear's mini comm while being lead towards the rear. His friends kept cheering & clapping, seeing their young boss found his birthday date.

As they did, two men in suits guarded the VIP area's entrance.

"Boys…under _no _circumstances are we to be disturbed, even if bloody _Godzilla _came to trash the city!", Johnny firmly stated. "And _nobody else _is to come back here unless _I _say otherwise! Understand?"

"Yes sir!", both men said.

"Let's go, love!", Johnny says, entering the VIP area & closing the door behind them. The sound of music was muffled greatly, making the hallway close to soundproof sans the slight vibration. Merida was then taken inside a good-sized lounge of a room with a working bar filled with assorted drinks, plush couch, table, chairs & rectangular mirrors on the walls. The carpet was soft even under their shoes, & the room smelled clean & refreshing.

Merida had to admit: it was quite the sight!

"These VIP lounges are pretty _swank_, Johnny!", she said, releasing his hand. "They've renovated this place quite well after the monster attack!"

"All the comforts of home & then some, love!", Johnny said, heading to the bar. "Would you care for a drink? Wine? Whiskey? Scotch? Bourbon, perhaps?"

"Just water, if you please", Merida says, heading for the couch & sitting down.

"As you wish."

Pouring her a glass of fresh water with ice cubes, Johnny helped himself to some Scotch before joining his date & took a sip of his drink, with Merida doing likewise.

"You sure throw one shindig of a party, Johnny", Merida began. "I wasn't sure you _could_, considering the money drought that's been going on, what with millions of _pounds _disappearing in recent weeks & people still suffering all over to get their lives back in order. Aren't you worried that it might happen to _you?_"

"Let me tell you something, love", Johnny says, taking a swig. "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there: if one is to go & survive it, one must do what's necessary to stay ahead & on top of the bloody food chain. That's what my _dad_ always taught me growing up: he said 'son, if you want something in this life that badly, it ain't going to be handed over to you on no silver platter…you have to _fight _for it before the _other _guy can claim your prize'. I took his advice to heart…and here I am."

It took only a moment for Merida to put two & two together.

"Ah, _I _get it now", she said with a sly smile. "It's your _dad _causing those current disappearances of currency, am I right?"

Johnny looked stunned to see how she was able to sum it up so quickly.

But he showed no sign on it: he kept his composure & spoke professionally, placing his drink down.

"You're quite the bright one, love", he says, leaning in closer as Merida does the same. "My father & I could _use _someone like you in our organization. With our brains & his muscle everywhere, we could be the next Bonnie & Clyde of London. This pound-vanishing scheme we're currently engaged in will be _nothing _compared to what we can achieve together. I'll even teach you moves on how to survive in a fight – everything I learned from my dad _and _on the streets of this jolly ol' town. Once I introduce you to my old man, he might even…"

As Johnny spoke, he silently/stealthily reached his right hand close to his pocket. But before he could grab what he intended, the door to the lounge room swung open to allow inside a man in black with a peppered beard/haircut. He casually took several steps within as Johnny & Merida turned towards him.

Gus Fleming was in the house!

"Hello, Johnny", he says casually, smiling. "And Happy Birthday, in keeping with the situation."

"Who are _you?!_", Johnny snapped, rising from the couch. "And how'd you even get past my men?!"

"Oh, you mean those poor blokes laying on the floor outside? They're not too great a security team, sonny…they couldn't stop a 4-year-old!"

In an instant, Johnny reached inside his pocket & pulled out a six-inch object which hid a blade of said length, its metal gleaming in the light.

"You've made a _big _mistake coming in here, mister!", Johnny says, holding his weapon menacingly. "Stay behind me, love: I don't want you getting hurt while I take _care_ of thisdumb bloke!"

"Gee, that's awfully sweet, Johnny…", Merida starts saying.

In a heartbeat, she snatched Johnny's knife hand & body-slammed him face-first onto the table, the impact causing him to drop his weapon. He tried to resist & fight back, but Merida kept his right arm behind his back & used herself to weigh down his other, pinning him but good.

"But I'm _perfectly _capable of handling _myself_, thank you very much!", Merida barked in his ear.

Seeing the futility of it, Johnny stopped fighting before Gus grabbed him by the lapels & threw him against the bar, jarring the young man from head to toe.

"You both'll be _very _sorry!", Johnny threatened. "Do you realize who my _father _is?!"

"Yeah, we know your old man!", Gus said. "Arlo Briggs, ex-British military, went into racketeering & ended up doing six years in the penitentiary before being released for good behavior! While hiding in the shadows & keeping his own hands clean, he runs the London Crime Syndicate & profits from any opportunity that comes his way!"

"Opportunities such as the recent currency thefts…which _you _have a _hand_ in!", Merida adds.

"You think you can _prove _that?!", Johnny barked. "My lawyers will have me out in 24 hours! Just wait!"

"Seeing you in that courtroom _can _wait!", Gus said. "But right now…_you're _going to get in touch with your old man so we can arrange a meet this evening!"

"That's _not _gonna happen!"

"Is that so?", Merida says, reaching inside his suit & pulling out his cell phone, giving it to Gus.

The British agent checks a certain list & smiles.

"Amazing the numbers that people put on their speed dials, isn't it?", he says, holding it up before dialing one of the numbers. Johnny can hear the buzz tone from where he stood & started ranting.

"Dad, _help! _These two crazy buggers have…!", he started before a well-placed fist to his face by Merida silenced him indefinitely. He collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"_Hello, Johnny! How are you enjoying the birthday celebration I arranged for?_", his cell replied.

"Oh, he's had a little _too _much excitement, & now he's sleeping it off", Gus said, grinning with Merida.

"_Who is this?! What have you done with my boy?! If you so much as harmed one hair on his head, I swear I'll…_"

"You'll do _nothing_, mate…except shut up & listen!", Gus snapped, his grin gone. "If you want to see this little bugger again, you'll meet me over at Russell Square in one hour! Come alone: if I so much as _smell _any of your men, I'll _kill _him! You got that?!"

Gus hung up before the recipient – Arlo – could say anything else.

Both father-daughter agents look at Johnny's unconscious form & wonder how to get him out without raising any suspicion.

In an instant, they come up with a solution.

_A minute later:_

Gus & Merida walk out of the VIP lounge area, with the former carrying the comatose form of Johnny Briggs on one arm. The two men were taken unawares by the sight.

"What happened to _him?!_", the first man asked, pointing to Johnny.

"Had a little too much excitement, I'd say!", Merida says, grinning.

"_And _went a bit overboard on the booze!", Gus adds. "But you know kids these days…they don't know when too much is too much!"

The men stared at each other.

"Should we get in touch with his father? And what about the party?", asked the second man.

"Already got it squared away with his old man, mate!", Gus said. "We'll help him get home, safe & sound! Plus, Arlo told _us _to tell _you _that throughout the rest of the night, everyone eats & drinks for free, as _he'll _pick up the tab for it all!"

The two men looked stunned.

"Don't worry, boys…he & Arlo are just like this!", Merida says, crossing her fingers. "They go back a _long _way!"

After a moment, they nodded.

"We'll take care of everything", said thug #1. "Get Johnny home."

"Thank you!", Gus & Merida said in unison, resuming their trip through the sea of partygoers.

They got Johnny out of the club, onto the street & into their ride without further incident.

Next came the tricky part.

_Russell Square Park, one hour later:_

Traveling to their destination in Gus' SUV with tinted windows & arriving in thirty minutes, the father/daughter duo decided to leave Johnny unconscious until a minute or two to the deadline his father was supposed to meet. They'd used smelling salts to revive the young man, whom they've bound with his hands behind his back. Johnny sat upon his knees as Gus & Merida stood on opposite sides of him, keeping a close eye on him in case he does something foolish or stupid. Merida was now dressed in her Spetsnaz outfit, her bow & quiver of arrows over her shoulder.

It was about a minute or so before the deadline would be up.

"You wankers just _wait _until my father gets here!", Johnny said defiantly. "He'll make you _both _wish you were never _born!_"

"Keep it up, son, & _we'll _make _you _wish the same thing!", Gus threatened.

"Besides, we've gone up against _worse _people than you _or_ your father!", Merida warns. "We don't _get _scared all thateasily!"

The sound of a car pulling up caught everyone's attention as the trio could hear a door opening & closing before footsteps sounded on the concrete, getting more audible every second. Honing in on the source, they could see a lone man who's as groomed as they come: brown suit with hair slicked back in true gangster-style, brown eyes & a face that looked chiseled from stone. He stopped 12 feet from the trio.

Despite the situation, he seemed calm & collective.

"Dad!", Johnny said, rising up only to get pushed back down by his captors.

"Hello, Arlo", Gus said. "Glad you could make it."

"Glad to see that you kept up _your _end of the bargain as well", Arlo replied. "So…what will it take to have my son safely released & returned to me? Money?"

"In part, mate. But not to us: you're to return that money you & your boy here swindled from all those who were affected by the monsters' stroll through town last year."

"I don't know _what _you're talking about!", Arlo firmly stated, staring daggers at Johnny, who cringed.

"Don't you _dare _play innocent with _us_, Arlo!", Merida said. "We _know _it's you & Johnny here who's been taking money owed to these people, robbing them of their welfare & insurance payments while _you _bathed in wealth that don't belong to _either _of you! Therefore, either you agree to pay back what's _owed _to them, or we can beat you down & _force _you to do it!"

Arlo stood & stared at the trio as if to consider their offer.

"Tempting, but I have a _better _offer", he says, smiling. "You let my son go this instant, & my men & I _won't _fill you two full of holes."

The slight sound of a gun cocking was Gus & Merida's only warning: by instinct they dove for cover right before the sound of automatic gunfire filled the night, peppering the spot they were at seconds ago. Using the trees for cover, Gus pulled out his hidden Glock while Merida readied her bow, an arrow already set to fly. During the melee, Johnny got back on his feet as he & Arlo ran off.

_Oh no you _don't_, fellas!_, Merida thought.

"Gus…take care of these gun-happy creeps! _I'll _go fetch the main prize!", she called out.

"You got it, love!", Gus called back.

"_Angus!_"

At the call of his name, the Clydesdale raced towards Merida as she hopped on his saddle one-handed & raced off after the fleeing crime duo. Gus laid down cover fire, hitting three goons as they each went down.

Arlo & Johnny made it to their SUV & got it as the former turned on the ignition, bringing it to life. Merida hit both front & rear left tires with direct hits that punctured each & deflated them. Father & son felt & heard their ride sag to one side as Merida got off Angus & readied her bow.

"Get out of there…_right now!_", Merida barked.

Precious seconds went by before Arlo & Johnny complied, each one opening their doors in a heartbeat & aiming guns which they fired instantly. Merida & Angus took cover to avoid being hit, giving them both a clear message.

Arlo & Johnny Briggs aren't going down without a fight.

Like Gus, Merida & her steed had no problem with that: aiming her bow, the redhead fired two arrows in rapid succession at their assailants, hitting their guns & knocking them out of their hands. Once they were disarmed, Merida & Angus went after the father/son crime duo: the former going in to engage the son, the latter with the father.

Having lost their guns, both Briggs' pull out large knives.

Johnny came at Merida & swung his blade for all it's worth, eager to cut, stab & slice the redhead repeatedly for humiliating him at his own birthday party. Every swing & stab attempt he made, Merida counteracted & even got in a number of hits with feet & fists, each one hard as rock. Seeing he wasn't making headway, Johnny made a move which surprised Merida: he leaped at her like an attacking cougar & knocked her down to the ground, his blade only inches from her face.

Merida used all her strength to keep it from being driven home.

"I'm going to gut you like a bloody _fish _& feed you to our _dogs_, you little _wench!_", Johnny barked through gritted teeth.

"Sorry Johnny…", Merida started to say before wrenching the knife from his hand & landing a solid knee in his side, followed by a fist to his face which removed him from her person as she got back on her feet. "But your mutts are going to go _hungry _tonight!"

Johnny was barely listening through the pain he was suffering.

Angus put up a decent fight with Arlo, who wished the same fate for the Clydesdale as Johnny did for Merida. But her steed knew how to handle itself: using his front hooves like fists, Angus blocked each swing with his hooves before counterattacking by planting them in his chest, knocking his weapon out of his hand & the wind out of his sails.

But Arlo didn't give in despite forcing air into his lungs.

"You don't like the _knife_, do you?!", Arlo spat, pulling out a spare gun & aiming it at his four-legged foe. "Let's see how you like a few _slugs _placed in your hide instead, you reject from a glue factory!"

Not one bullet left his gun: Merida kicked it out of his hand before landing a fist to his face which caused him to see stars, followed immediately by a swift kick that knocked him on his side.

"Don't you _ever _point a gun at my horse, mister!", Merida barked, recalling how she almost lost her Clydesdale last year when he took three rounds in his side in Tokyo seven months ago.

She suddenly realized how quiet it was in the park, as all sounds of gunfire ceased & desisted.

"Gus?", she called out.

"Right here, love!", he called back, appearing unscathed as she smiled & ran to him with an embrace.

"I wasn't _really _worried for you", she joked, getting a laugh from her adoptive dad.

"Nor I with you, dear: I _knew _you'd have things well in hand as you did with me. What say we get our agency & the proper authorities down here to help clean this mess up?"

"Sounds good to _me_, Gus!"

Grinning, Gus took out his cell.

_Fifteen minutes later:_

Both groups of authorities came on the scene to place the bodies in black bags & both Arlo & Johnny in the back of an armored vehicle with two armed guards watching them. Merida even had the privilege of telling Johnny that since he's 20 years of age, he can be tried as an adult & will most likely be going to prison along with his old man. Adding insult to injury, Merida even played back a recording of Johnny's confession to their crime of stealing money belonging to the good people of London, having gotten it from the earrings Merida wore which caught every word Johnny uttered when they were in the VIP room at the club.

The evidence was more than enough to put them away for many years, if not decades.

In keeping with the situation, she also wished him happy birthday, getting laughs from those around them.

Father & son grit their teeth in rage before the doors slammed shut.

Elinor Fleming joined her husband & daughter once things got squared away, giving kisses to both for their safe return _and _having another success.

Both Gus' agency & local police were no less grateful.

"We've been after Arlo Briggs for _years_, with no success", said one officer. "He's always stayed one step ahead of us, but thanks to you two, his lucky streak finally comes to an end! We owe you big-time!"

"Think nothing of it, boys…it's all in a day's work", Gus said. "We're each so good at what we do, my daughter & I could practically do it all _blindfolded!_"

"Not that I would ever _let _them attempt such a feat, mind you", Elinor chimed in.

"Your mum never lets us have _any _fun, does she?", Gus joked to Merida.

The trio & even the officers/agency men share a laugh together.

"But now, all the people who are waiting to collect their insurance money will finally get what they're owed once we seize Arlo's assets", said one agency man. "Once again, we are in your debt for a task well done, Gus, Merida."

"Our pleasure, sir", Gus says. "Let us know when next you're in need of our services."

"We surely will, Gus. Good night, madams."

With friendly handshakes, the officers/agency men headed off to handle the paperwork & were all gone in under a minute, leaving the Fleming family & Angus alone in Russell Square Park.

"Quite an eventful evening!", Elinor says. "A father-&-son duo get indicted & charged with fraud & theft of the most dastardly kind, & millions of stolen property will soon be collected & returned to their rightful owners…all thanks to the two of you!"

"And Angus!", Merida adds. "He certainly pulled _his _weight this evening in helping us corral those two! It's why he always joins us on missions: you never know when you'll need a quick/essential assist from a two-legged or _four_-legged companion!"

"Can't argue with that, Merida", Gus said. "But for the next few weeks, I'll be going solo."

Merida looked puzzled, but Elinor knew exactly what he meant.

"You, Angus & myself have a previous engagement that takes place tomorrow morning, Merida", she says. "Let's stop over at the nearest McDonald's for a quick bite, & we'll explain on the way home."

Anxious to know what her mother meant, Merida nodded.

_Radio City Music Hall, Manhattan, New York, 10:00 p.m.:_

One of the city's greatest entertainment venues always puts on great performances during its nearly 85-year run when it first opened on December 27th, 1932, & tonight was definitely no exception: the Benice family, along with their friend Stephanie Beatrice, were doing an on-stage performance of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' in honor of the movie's 75th anniversary which made its debut _in _NYC on May 29th, 1942, followed by a countryside release on June 6th. To make it an even more special occasion, retired veterans from World War II & their immediate families were invited to witness this grand production to honor their services & celebrate the movie's milestone. Nathan of course did guitar work while Patricia, Stephanie, Eugene & Rapunzel performed vocals, doing each song from 'Keep your eyes upon me (Dancing Master)' to 'Off the Record'.

Now they finish the evening's performance with an encore of this tune, which was used during the First World War in 1917, written by George M. Cohan:

Johnnie, get your gun

Get your gun, get your gun

Take it on the run

On the run, on the run

Hear them calling, you & me

Every son of liberty

Hurry right away

No delay, go today

Make your daddy glad

To have had such a lad

Tell your sweetheart not to pine

To be proud her boy's in line

Over there, over there

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming

The Yanks are coming

The drums rum-tumming

Everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over

Over there

Over there, over there

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming

The Yanks are coming

The drums rum-tumming

Everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over

Over there

"_EVERYBODY, SING!_", Patricia, Stephanie, Eugene & Rapunzel urged the audience just as James Cagney did in the movie to the soldiers in World War I.

And sing they did: each audience member – young & old – sang as loud as they could:

Over there, over there

Send the word, send the word over there

That the Yanks are coming

The Yanks are coming

The drums rum-tumming

Everywhere

So prepare, say a prayer

Send the word, send the word to beware

We'll be over, we're coming over

And we won't come back till it's over

Over there

Like the soldiers in the movie, the audience cheered once the song was finished & gave everyone on stage a huge round of applause before they bowed & exited. Dennis, Pascal & even Maximus watched from backstage, giving their own approval as they conclude the evening's performance: Max gave a neigh, while Pascal changed his colors to red, white & blue as he clapped his reptilian hands. The little lizard was also fitted with a collar, which he got for Christmas.

Dennis patted him on the head with a grin.

_One57 Apartment Complex, West 57__th__ Street, 10:30 p.m.:_

After the show, the group headed back for a well-deserved meal: Maximus ate some nice apples in his stable over in Central Park, with everyone else enjoying a platter of delicious entrees ranging from meats to vegetables. The food was pre-ordered, & was ready for consumption by the time they arrived.

It was the perfect ending to such a fun-filled evening.

"Now _this _is what _I _call 'working up an appetite'!", Eugene says before taking another mouthful.

"How true, Eugene: 'virtue _is_ its own reward'!", Rapunzel adds, doing the same.

"Especially when it fills the stomach!"

The four adults chuckle in amusement as Pascal got filled bits of their scraps & savors every piece.

"Another grand performance, indeed!", Nathan said. "One we were all too _happy _to be part of, as it holds a special meaning to Patricia & myself."

"Let me guess: 1942's 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' with James Cagney had a big influence on you both years ago, correct?", Stephanie asked as both nodded.

"Stephanie & I can relate", Dennis adds. "I remember _my _first viewing of that movie when it was on television before moving over to Turner Classic Movies. I always hoped to see it performed live on stage, & these past several weeks gave me that chance."

"It turns 75 this year, so it was _perfect timing!_", Eugene said.

"Yeah, too bad tonight was the last performance for Eugene & myself", Rapunzel said. "We were _hoping _to keep it going until the Fourth of July, but we _know_ what's coming up for us."

Patricia nodded.

"We know how much you both love performing with us, Rapunzel", she says. "But surely you recall that little talk we had with Tajima, Gus & the rest?"

"We do", Eugene & Rapunzel say in unison.

"Hard to believe that another time for it is upon us again", Rapunzel says.

"It's a good thing, Rapunzel", Stephanie says. "Although you've all adapted so well here living in this era, you mustn't ever forget the fact you were each thrown into & reawakened here by circumstances beyond your control. That in itself is quite a burden, & by being together for a certain amount of time, it _does _help to release that tension to a great degree. Your adoptive families have done what they could to make your lives here the best it could be, & this method is all but perfect for you & your friends."

Eugene & Rapunzel look at each other in silence. Neither one _had _to say anything because they knew Stephanie was right: it _was _a strain on them when Prince Hans opened a portal that sent them, Maximus, Pascal, Merida, Elinor & Angus from 1788 Corona into the 21st Century in an instant. For over a year, they were picked up by Gus, Patricia & Nathan, who showed them the ropes on how the modern-day world worked. But when they learned they _weren't _the only ones to make a reappearance in the modern day, they formed a strong friendship that lasts to this day, having done many things most can only dream about from fighting gangsters to aliens & their giant monsters, learning new customs along the way, with some of them being difficult.

Spending time as a group like Tajima Sugimoto & the others suggested _is _a great way to relieve that burden from their shoulders.

"Well, it really _would _be nice to see Kristoff & the girls again", Eugene says.

"And five months _can _feel like an eternity", Rapunzel admits. "So…where shall we be meeting them _this _time?"

Smiling, Patricia & Nathan began with the details.

**CHAPTER III**

_Phoenix Sky International Airport, Arizona, Sunday, June 18__th__, 9:30 a.m.:_

Each group was given details of their get-together: where they would go, stay at, & so forth. As usual, they each arranged transport for the three animals, with Pascal going in his travel cage. Like the other times they've traveled, a mobile stable would await them upon their arrival for easy transport.

Their destination would be Phoenix, Arizona in the United States.

Because of time/country differences, the groups left their homes at varying moments.

Kristoff, Anna & Elsa's flight took 16 hours & 8 minutes from Tokyo's Narita Airport.

Elinor & Merida's flight took 11 hours & 4 minutes.

Because they were already in the United States, Eugene & Rapunzel's flight took only 4 hours & 19 minutes.

Now that they've landed & collected their luggage, they ran into each other doing the same & embraced like lost lovers/family members they've not seen in ages: despite the long flights & jet lag they received, they were energized in running into one another once more.

It was _more _than worth it!

"Kristoff!", Eugene says, grinning.

"Eugene!", Kristoff says, also grinning.

"How _you _doin'?", they say in unison like Matt LeBlanc in 'Friends'.

The ladies were no less happy in being in each other's presence themselves.

"What a _joy _it is to be with you girls again!", Elinor says pleasantly. "I for one am _glad _we're able to get together like this, even if it _isn't_ with the _entire _group!"

"Most likely it'll occur again when the holidays arrive, Elinor", says Rapunzel. "But you're right: it _is _good to be here with you all & the boys! Right, Pascal?"

The little chameleon sprinted from Rapunzel's shoulder & went straight to Kristoff's, who giggled as the lizard crawled around him for a bit before hopping over to Elinor, Merida, Elsa & Anna, each of whom laughed amusingly as their little friend greeted them in his own special manner.

"We missed you too, Pascal, believe me!", Anna says, holding him in her hands.

"I hope you & your friends feel that way about _us_, Anna!", said a female voice that caught their attention.

Turning, the group see a young man & woman with medium-brown skin tones & heads of curly hair, with the woman's longer in length. Dressed in formal summer wear, seeing the duo made the group smile wider.

"Maui!", Eugene & Kristoff say.

"Moana!", the girls say.

Like he did with the others, Pascal went over to Maui's shoulder & crawls over him before doing the same with Moana. Both giggle at the chameleon's antics before going back to Rapunzel.

"This is quite a _surprise!_", Merida says. "Gus & the others never said anything about meeting _you _two here!"

"Not that we're _not _glad to see you…we _are_, really…it's just that, well…", Anna started to say.

Maui & Moana chuckled, as did Elsa & the rest.

"We know what you mean, Anna", Moana said. "Truth is, Patricia & Nathan consulted us in secret to help arrange for this get-together & _make _it a surprise."

"Mission accomplished!", Kristoff said.

"But well worth the effort, I must say!", Eugene adds.

"And how", Maui said. "Hope you got all your luggage: there's a limo waiting for us right outside the airport – along with your animals."

Hearing their faithful steeds arrived safely put them in greater spirits.

"Let's get a move-on, kids", Elinor says.

"We're not getting any younger, Mum", Merida says, getting grins from all.

Maui & Moana lead the caravan outside the airport's main entrance where they see a long black limousine with a pair of large bull horns placed on the hood in the front. A man in cowboy attire with short brown hair & boots stood next to the passenger door, his cowboy hat hanging from his neck on a strap.

"Howdy there, buckaroos!", he said, smiling. "The name's Hal Jenkins, & I'll be your driver during your stay here in beautiful Arizona! If you'll allow my associates to take care of your luggage, we can get this show on the road!"

Hal whistled to three men who came out of three SUVs that were each attached to mobile stables where Maximus, Sven & Angus were comfortably placed in. As Hal's friends packed their bags inside the vehicles, the group went to their animals.

"How was the flight, buddy?", Kristoff asked Sven.

"One of the _longest _I've _ever _been on!", Kristoff said in his 'Sven voice'.

"I hear _that_. But at least we're back on the ground", he said regularly.

Hal & his three helpers stared at Kristoff in the most unusual manner.

"It's a thing between him & his reindeer", Anna says, grinning. "Don't ask."

"Likes to pretend his reindeer can talk to him, huh?", Hal asked as they nodded. "I like him already! Let's move out, people!"

Hal's friends resume loading the group's luggage.

"See? Hal likes me already", Kristoff says as they gave him a dubious look.

"Don't let it go to your head, iceman", Elinor said with a sly smile.

Snickering to himself, Kristoff enter the limo with the rest before they all take off into the city with Hal leading the way.

The caravan travel in a southern direction.

_Somewhere between Phoenix & Tuscon, 10:30 a.m.:_

Aside from the labors of the staff, the Manuelito Casino & Hotel was nearly silent on this Sunday morning, the place devoid of any guests thus far. There was a good reason for it: the hotel/casino complex wasn't slated to open for business officially until near the end of June in time for the Fourth of July holiday. The building stood at a height of 50 stories high, & was the width of nearly a city block. Off-ramps were constructed for easy access from the 10 Highway going in both directions, & the multi-level parking lot resided on the right side of the building.

Within the main office of the building, however, it was anything _but _silent: the two occupants of the room – both Navajos, a male & female who each had long jet black hair & looked to be 21 years of age – were currently in a heated argument, with neither one backing down or gaining the upper hand.

"Unbelievable", the female – Tamika Nizhoni – said.

"_What _do you find 'unbelievable' about all this, Tamika?", said the male named Royce Bidziil.

"That you'd actually _go through _with this hair-brained scheme of yours, Royce! Honestly, I didn't think you'd make it past the early planning stages! Even the _townspeople_ & _elders _couldn't believe it!"

"Like them, you're just jealous to see that I succeeded what I set out to do since my teen years began! Everybody – you included – didn't think it'd work when I revealed my idea to our people, & they _ridiculed_ me for it! Well, looks like _I _get the last laugh, don't I?"

"Not just yet: you _still _need to draw in customers to this place once the deadline arrives, which is in less than two weeks away!"

"Just you wait, Tamika: this place will be crawling with people – Navajo & otherwise – once the ribbon gets cut! And in case you've forgotten, our people have been _suffering _since the government closed down the mines where they used to work in: they said they were too dangerous to continue laboring within, & we've gone through _years _of hard times! Can't you see? This hotel & casino I've constructed will _help _our people get back on their feet, finally! This 'hair-brained scheme' as you called it is practically the _only _way to _do _that! What _else _was I supposed to do: sit back & let our people drop dead from lack of food, clean water & other everyday essentials?"

Tamika stayed silent after that, knowing Royce was right: when the government shut down the mines because of all the accidents & deaths that occurred, the Navajo were in a pinch that lasted years. People starved more than they were fed, & died from malnutrition & sickness. Even constant hunting of the wildlife offered little relief, & thus many Navajo fled the northwest region to get whatever work they could to support their loved ones.

Because of their Indian heritage, they didn't make too much, & were barely able to support themselves, much less their families.

She couldn't deny that Royce's idea of a casino/hotel would be a great asset.

But she wasn't going to admit it to him…not yet.

"Even if this plan of yours _does _work, Royce, you _still _shouldn't ignore what your _other _role in life is", she said.

"Not _this _again", he said, shaking his head sadly. "You _still _want me to get myself involved in that mystical juju even now?"

"That 'mystical juju' is your _heritage_, Royce! You're _supposed _to have been our tribe's medicine man, & yet you threw it all away so you can concentrate on _this!_ What would your _ancestors _say if they knew you abandoned a role in which you were meant to be? They'd be rolling in their _graves! Wake up_, dude!"

"I _have _woken up, Tamika! Let me tell _you _something: this is the 21st Century, _not _the 1700s or even the 1800s! That magic mumbo-jumbo went the path of the dinosaur! We're living in an age of advanced sciences & technologies which have become everyday life! I've put the past exactly where it belongs – in the past! You should learn to do the same!"

Before Tamika could utter a word, a knock came at the door.

"Come in", Royce said.

The door opened to permit a man 9 years older than the Navajo pair, dressed in cowboy attire.

His name is Bill Sidewinder.

"Sorry to interrupt, Royce, but I just came by to tell you that your guests have arrived", he said.

The news was surprising to Tamika but welcome to Royce.

"Excellent! Be right down! Thank you, Bill!", he said as said cowboy left.

"Guests?", Tamika says. "I thought your place wasn't _open_ yet, Royce!"

"For _these _people, I'm making an exception. Care to come meet them?"

Royce was already out the door by the time he finished.

Sighing & rolling her eyes once, Tamika followed.

_The hotel entrance:_

Hal & his friends drove & stopped their vehicles near the front doors as drivers & passengers alike spilled out of them. Elinor & the rest got their first good look at the hotel from the ground up.

"That's quite a place, I must say!", said Moana. "I _still _can't believe we're _staying _here awhile!"

"Same here, Moana!", Elinor said. "But why call this place 'Manuelito'?"

"He's the name of a great Navajo leader who was well-known for moments like fighting in historic conflicts like the Battle of Washington Pass, & for refusing the Long Walk of the Navajo, for instance", Maui said. "I'm guessing the owner of this place _is _Navajo."

"You guessed _right_, fella!", Royce said, grinning as he approached the group. "Hello, Hal!"

"Royce!", Hal said back, getting into a brief hug before turning to the crowd. "Folks, I want you all to meet the _best _Navajo this side of the ranch…Royce Bidziil!"

"And what about _me_, Hal?", Tamika said, walking towards him & the group.

"Ah, where _are _my manners? People, this here is Tamika Nizhoni: she's Royce's lady love! They've known each other since their toddler days!"

Tamika paused & widened her eyes when she saw the group for the first time, particularly two people.

"Excuse me, but…aren't you two Eugene & Rapunzel Benice?", she asked, pointing to both.

"You _know _of us?", Rapunzel asked.

"Of course! I remember seeing you both _and _your friends here performing on television in Los Angeles back in December 2015, & during that concert in Hawaii just last year! I also read that you performed at NYC's Madison Square Garden last Christmas, & just recently at Radio City Music Hall, yes?"

The group were amazed at what Tamika knew.

"Well…I guess our reputation _does _precede us, Blondie!", Eugene says. "Even from way out here!"

"That's what happens when your family is Patricia & Nathan Benice!", Rapunzel says, smiling with her hubby.

"I _thought _you particular folks looked familiar before!", Hal said. "Even the boys & I back at the ranch saw them same concerts when they were televised! You all raised a _fortune _for those that lost homes & businesses during those monster attacks! When you folks head on up to the ranch where I'm at, the boys & I would _love _to hear all about it!"

"Speaking _of _the ranch, Hal…", Bill started to say.

"Oh yeah, Bill", Hal said, checking his watch. "Sorry, folks…Bill & I are due back at the ranch, but before we head off, we'd like to know if we could take your animals up there with us."

"You wish to take Maximus, Sven _and _Angus to your ranch?", Merida asked.

"That I do, Merida. Trust me: they'll get the best care from me & the boys, plus they'll have a good place to sleep in rather than those mobile stables."

"Folks, I've known Hal for many years", Royce said. "You can certainly trust him to care for your animals. In a day or two, I'll take you up to the ranch myself, & you'll see how well they'll be treated under Hal's wing."

After a moment or so, the group nodded in agreement.

"Just make sure Sven gets plenty of carrots", Kristoff says.

"Apples for Maximus", Eugene says.

"Angus came with a bag of his favorite oats", Merida adds. "Give him a bowl each morning & evening."

"Pascal stays here, however…no argument", Rapunzel says as said chameleon stood on his hind legs, arms across his chest in a manner that said 'darn straight'.

"Pascal's _more _than welcome to stay here, Rapunzel", Tamika says. "But no grabbing anyone's snacks unless he gets permission first. Deal?"

Pascal saluted like an obedient soldier, stating he's agreed to her terms.

"I think Pascal can live with that, Tamika", Rapunzel says, grinning with the Navajo.

"Perfect", Royce said, turning to one of his employees – a black man. "Louis, kindly gather the guest's luggage & bring them to their assigned rooms, won't you?"

"I'd be _glad _to, sir!", Louis says with a grin, taking a large metal stroller used for storing & pushing large amounts of luggage. As Louis & Hal's friends load the stroller, the group consult with their animals.

"It'll be _lonely _there without _you_", Kristoff spoke in his Sven voice.

"It's just for a day or two, buddy", Kristoff said regularly. "Besides, while I just _met _the guy, _I _like Hal already. Give him a chance."

"All right, I'll do it…for you", Kristoff said in his Sven voice.

"Good boy!", he said normally.

"Don't worry, Angus…we'll be together again before you know it", Merida says, patting her horse's mane. "See you in a day or two."

Angus' answer was a soft neigh.

"A _ranch!_ How about _that_, Max?", Eugene says as the Andalusian neighed proudly. "Yeah, lucky you, getting to visit the place first! See _you _soon!"

Hal announced that all their luggage was removed, & entered their vehicles but not before wishing the group well & that they'd see them in a matter of a day or two.

In under a minute, they were all back on the 10 Highway & out of sight.

"They'll be all right. You'll see", Maui says.

"For right now, let's all get inside to our rooms", Moana said. "I for one can use a nice shower & a good meal to shake off this jet lag I've acquired."

"Now that you mentioned _that_, Moana…", Anna says.

With giggles & grins, everyone followed Louis & the two Navajos inside.

Their reunion has just begun!

_9:00 p.m.:_

With Louis' help, the group's luggage were brought to their rooms which was on the 30th floor of the building as each one was right next to one another, keeping them in close proximity that were divided into three groups: Kristoff, Eugene, Anna, Rapunzel & Pascal in one room, Maui & Moana in another, with Elinor, Elsa & Merida in the final. As each group settled in, they took turns taking showers to wash off thoroughly as a little room service was called to have food sent up: a request for some simple sandwiches would give them some sustenance to replenish themselves before agreeing to take a slight nap in shaking off the leftover jet lag they've acquired, just to be sure.

After their showers & lunch, the group slept until 8:00 in the evening.

It was worth the slumber: they felt very refreshed & dressed up in their evening best before heading downstairs into the dining room where a waiting Royce & Tamika greeted them. When Elinor apologized for spending most of the day resting, the two Navajos told her none were necessary, & that they would've done the same thing themselves were _they _jet lag-stricken.

The dining room was extravagant with multiple tables that sported brown-golden cloths that depicted the Navajo, & the walls were given similar treatment which sported several paintings of said Indians from years past right up to the present. It was a most impressive dining room, equipped with a large stage up front for performing arts – another treat for visitors to make their stay enjoyable.

While waiting for their dinner to arrive, Tamika gave the group a history of the Navajo, from the earliest settlers & their services in World War II up to the modern-day ones that still roam the northwest of Arizona. Their dinner came as Tamika explained how Royce became wealthy & built the casino/hotel they now occupy.

"So the California Gold Rush of 1848-1855 in the Sierra Nevada region was how Royce's ancestors collected all their wealth which continues being invested to this day?", Moana asked.

"More or less", Tamika said. "Our people were struggling during that period, & Royce's ancestors decided to go west in hopes of digging up gold in that very region once they heard of the gold rush going on there. At first, they were unsuccessful for three agonizing weeks until they struck it rich. With the wealth they collected, they were able to afford proper care for the sick & food for the hungry. The Bidziil family became something of saviors, rescuing our people from a fate worse than death, with several members of Royce's family becoming the Navajo's shaman or medicine men."

"They're the ones that perform sorcery & act as priestly healers for the Indian tribes, right?", asked Eugene.

"Correct. As I've said, Royce's family tree included both businessmen & shamans who were to take up the mantle when their time came & use their magic for the benefit of their people."

"And Royce is next in line?", asked Kristoff as Tamika nodded.

"Or rather, he _was _next in line…until he decided to go ahead with all _this_", Tamika said, using a hand to gesture all around her. "Once the mines his people were working at closed down due to the government, Royce used every cent of his inheritance to invest in it. As you can all see, he spared no expense."

"If it really _is _that bad for your people currently, & that they _are _going through a state of poverty, then maybe it _isn't _such a bad idea for Royce to build up this casino & hotel, Tamika", Merida says.

"Exactly", Maui adds. "Desperate times _do _call for desperate measures, & all that. Royce just wants to give his people the miracle support it needs. Where's the harm in trying?"

"Nothing, Maui", Tamika admitted. "I _know _Royce wants to make sure that his people are well-cared for & all, but the problem is that he completely _discards _his role as the next shaman. He wants to _forget _the past & concentrate on the present & future."

"Even if that means discarding his very _heritage?_", Elsa asked.

Tamika nodded her head slowly & sadly.

"Now we see the _problem_, Tamika", Anna said. "While it _is _important to concentrate on the present & look ahead to the future, it's _equally _important to _never _forget where your _roots _belong. Tossing away one's heritage is exactly like abandoning their family tree. That's just not right."

Elsa & the rest shook their heads in agreement.

"If you're really _against _Royce's idea for this casino & hotel, Tamika, then why'd you assist him in it?", Rapunzel wondered.

"I wasn't the _only _one against it, Rapunzel", Tamika explains. "The majority of the Navajo tribe were _also _highly in doubt & _they _wanted Royce to give it up. As to why I _am _helping him despite my objections…like Hal mentioned, Royce & I knew each other since we'd learned how to walk. Through thick & thin, were grew up together, & eventually fell in love. Whether it succeeds or fails, I wasn't _about _to let him do this by his lonesome. But as for getting him into & accepting his other role as shaman…_that's _the more difficult part. I just don't know what to _do _anymore."

Tamika sagged in her seat as the group looked on. Of all the people in the room who can understand the burden of family tradition best, it was Merida & Elinor: even now, they remember when the one-time Queen of DunBroch had prepped Merida for choosing a suitor from the three visiting clans in keeping with tradition – one Merida wished to all but break, which she eventually did. But while she never _did _pick a suitor, she _has _learned the value of family history & taking up traditions.

Elinor broke the silence.

"Royce will see the importance of his role sooner or later, Tamika", she said. "Like I told a wise person one time, 'we can't run away from who we are'."

_Well said, Mum_, Merida thought with a smile, knowing she was referring to her.

"When the time is right, we'll all sit down with Royce & make him see that. For now, let's enjoy his hospitality – for _your_ sake as well as his."

Tamika smiled at Elinor's promise.

"I'll drink to _that_, Elinor!", she said, raising her glass as did everyone else.

The rest of the night was pleasant & joyful.

_The South Pacific Ocean, 60 miles off Perth, Australia:_

An enormous cruise ship sailed on a beautiful voyage across the world's largest body of water. On board were some of the wealthiest people on the planet from the Southern regions, ranging from New Zealand to Australia, & so on. They spared no expense in arranging for this phenomenal cruise, & they definitely weren't shy about showing off any of their jewelry, with many singular pieces costing more than what the average person makes in a week.

It was a cruise scheduled to travel from Perth to Christmas Island & back again.

On this evening, its trip was halted by a plethora of ships that have surrounded it at all angles.

None of these ships were the Australian Coast Guard or any other nations'.

These particular ships belonged to a band of Somali Pirates – bands of ocean robbers from Somalia that attack & pillage seagoing vessels for ransom. They have been a constant threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somalian civil war which began early in the 21st Century. In 2013, their number of attacks decreased dramatically due to the increase of navy patrols across the globe, especially at China, India & the EU Navfor (a joint operation of various European navies).

On this year, however, they've returned to the waters with a vengeance as they plan on making the cruise ship the first of many prizes to claim as their own.

Firing a few shots from powerful cannons that came awfully close to hitting their hull, the cruise ship halted in the water as the leader from the main Somali vessel announced that their ship will be boarded, followed by an arrival of their men, each one armed to the teeth with PKM machine guns, handguns, knives, & other deadly weapons.

One brave man cried back, saying that they weren't intimidated by thugs, be they on land or out at sea. Several others also shouted their protests, backing him up. The Somali pirates leader ordered his men to fire off a few rounds from their machine guns that were mounted on the decks: with powerful telescopes that magnify their targets from well over 100 meters away, these guns hit their marks on the first shot.

The lead protestor & several of his followers fell instantly, dead before they hit the deck & throwing the rest of the ship's passengers into a brief panic.

When the Somali leader asked if anyone else wished to be a hero, nobody came forth as they stayed silent.

It was time for the pillaging/looting to begin.

The leader's second-in-command – a huge muscular Somalian – couldn't help but to chuckle with a grin.

"They don't look so cocky _now_ – do they, Captain?", he says. "This could turn out to be easier than we thought."

"Perhaps", said the captain, smiling briefly. "But just in case there are still anyone on board who even _thinks _of resisting us, you & the men are to shoot & kill them on sight. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Are the men ready to depart to claim our prize?"

"That they are. They're just waiting on you to give the order, Captain."

"Let's not keep them waiting any longer. Tell the men they're a go."

Nodding, the second-in-command got on his radio to give the order to those ready to head over & get their score. In moments, a number of smaller boats powered by motors were lowered into the water, each one loaded with pirates & eager to get their hands on goods worth thousands of dollars. Once they enter the drink, they don't hesitate to start their motors & rush off to the cruise ship that sits in wait for its plunder.

Each man grinned with greedy anticipation.

So did the captain & his second.

"Our first score since the resurgence of our people, Captain, & it's a major one!", said the second. "When word of this gets around, we will strike fear into _all _vessels that dare to set sail! We shall _own _the oceans of the world!"

"I concur", said the captain. "But let's not allow ourselves to get too cocky as those fools on the cruise ship have. We need to be successful on _this_ mission in order to achieve such a status if we are to regain our reputation of being a force to be reckoned with. Once _that _gets accomplished, we shall then move forward with…"

"_Captain!_", a man cried out as he ran from the bridge & onto the deck, his face with a fearful expression.

"What _is _it?!", he demanded.

"We have _company _coming our way!"

The captain got within inches of the man's face, his features stony.

"What _kind _of company?!", he snarled.

The man swallowed in fear once before answering.

"It…it's coming from beneath the waves, & approaching us fast!"

"Navy submarines?!"

"That _wasn't _the impression _I _got, sir! As I checked the instruments, I saw the readings were off the charts, as the object coming at us _couldn't _be any sub of _that _magnitude!"

As the captain was about to ask for a definite answer, one came up for him as the sound of churning water caught his attention, along with those from all ships including those on their way to their prize. Like the man working the radio & sonar mentioned, it was very large – too large to be any known submarine to make that kind of spectacle.

He was correct: in an eye blink, a large creature emerged from beneath the waves that was dinosaurian that had a feral head with reptilian eyes & mouth filled with sharp teeth. The forearms sported four-fingered hands, each one ending in sharp claws. Even though the beast was waist/chest-deep in water, the Somali captain can estimate that it was about 40 meters tall. The creature looked a lot like Godzilla, only smaller & without the large dorsal fins upon its back, as it only sported small bumps of them. Its flesh was also different: as Godzilla's was a dark charcoal gray, this beast's skin tone was a dark lime green.

Both assailants & victims alike were looking not at Godzilla, but Godzilla _Junior_.

Junior unleashed a roar that was higher-pitched than his elder sibling as his tail lifted up & splashed down on the surface, causing waves that rocked big & small boats alike. The pirates had to hold onto the edges of their boats to keep from going overboard.

The Somali captain looked to see his men standing still, staring in awe at Godzilla's younger sibling.

"What are you fools _waiting _for?!", he shouted, snapping them out of it & pointing to Junior. "_Take him down!_"

"But sir…that is the younger sibling of _Godzilla!_", cried one man. "We cannot _possibly _defeat him!"

The captain went to the man, grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt & slammed him against the wall.

His venomous stare made the man shrink.

"He is _not_ as _strong _as his older sibling!", the captain spat coldly. "He _can _be defeated, & we _will _defat him! The _next _person who refuses to follow my orders will be _shot on sight! Understand?!_"

The man nodded, being more afraid of his captain than of Junior.

"Good!", the captain snapped, releasing him. "Now _kill him!_"

As one, all the men on every ship & even in the smaller boats aimed & fired their weapons at Godzilla Junior as machine gun & rocket launcher fire peppered the saurian's body in powerful explosions. Junior roared in defiance with each wave of firepower he took, his tail rising up & coming down on the nearest pirates that were in the water. Some were hit on contact & exploded in fiery blasts, killing all within.

Men only had a second or two to scream before meeting their demise.

Others were washed away when their boats capsized by Junior's wake, the water taking them so fast they had no chance to sprint free or avoid drowning. Each of these men disappeared from the surface & sank down to Davy Jones' Locker. Another group of Somali boats brushed against Junior's thick hide, bursting them into splinters as men went down to join their comrades. A couple were able to avoid such a fate & were given closer quarters to make their weapons more effective. But Junior was tougher than he seemed: even at near-point-blank range, the rocket launchers & machine gun fire couldn't even _dent _Junior's flesh, & they exploded harmlessly against scales that were more like tree bark upon closer inspection.

But while they didn't _stop _Junior, they _did _get his attention: looking down at the attacking armada, Junior lit up the inside of his mouth & let loose his heat ray that washed over each boat, bathing them in radioactive energy. All the men that got hit with this deadly projectile literally had their flesh roasted & melted off their bones before going up in fiery holocausts, their screams drowned out by the ray & blasts.

Godzilla Junior wiped out every one of the Somali boats with his weapon & sheer bulk even as he's bombarded with bullets & rockets. The Somali ships now used cannon fire to repel Godzilla's sibling, but they were just as useless as everything else they've tried thus far.

Even if Junior wasn't getting stopped by all the heavy artillery he was being buffeted with, he _was _getting rather annoyed by it.

He decides to take the fight right to the ringleaders themselves, now that he's finished with the preliminaries.

Junior started advancing upon them.

The captain on the cruise ship & his crew watched the mayhem unfold as Godzilla Junior was engaged in combat with their would-be captors: even _they _couldn't believe their savior would come in the form of Godzilla's sibling, & it was shared by every passenger/servant on board.

Nevertheless, they saw it as an opportunity to make good their escape.

"Quick…while those pirates are occupied with Godzilla's offspring, get this ship going on all motors & get us _away _from here!", said the captain as his crew nodded & got to work.

On the other side of the cruise ship where the other half of Somali pirates lay in the water, the men can hear the inhuman screams amid the explosions, gunfire & Godzilla Junior's roars.

It chilled them to the core of their bones.

"Our men are getting _killed_, commander!", said one man. "We need to do _something!_"

"Yes, we do!", the commander replied. "While our comrades are keeping that monster busy, _we _shall make the attempt to rob these fools of their wealth! Get those boats across: we will _finish _the job they had started!"

"Commander, _look!_", another man said.

Their leader saw the cruise ship starting its engines back up to make a break for it.

_Not on _my _watch, you won't!_, he thought.

"Stop that ship!", he ordered. "Fire a volley of warning shots to halt its progress, & tell them they will be _sunk _if they do not comply!"

Immediately the men get to work & re-aim their cannons at the fleeing vessel that is to be their catch.

Without warning, a pair of large water sprouts erupted from beneath the waves like geysers, catching the Somali pirates by surprise, their unexpected arrivals throwing several boats in the air & spilling their passengers that drowned once they hit the drink. Once the water sprouts dissipated, they were all greeted by two new horrible sights: a pair of hominoid creatures that sported dark green & brown fur/hair on their bodies. One had pointed ears & sharp teeth in its mouth, with a pair of fangs jutting from its lower jaw. These hominoids unleashed angry roars that blared louder than any klaxons or explosions.

Gaira & Sanda have joined the party, their sights set on the Somali pirates.

Without waiting for their commander's orders, each of the men re-aimed their cannons & all other weapons from the retreating cruise ship to the newcomers before a vicious free-for-all ensued: round after round of ammunition were used in hopes of either driving the creatures away or wounding them to an extent where they can be killed.

No matter how much weaponry they used, the Somali pirates couldn't even slow down their progress, & soon the pirates were learning their failure the hard way: Sanda grabbed boat after boat of pirates & shoved them underwater, drowning them like rats while throwing others like baseballs as men screamed like banshees before landing on the water which shattered bones from the impact. Gaira was more aggressive: not only did he drown the pirates, he also placed them in his mouth & consumed them before spitting out their tattered clothing. Men died crying for mercy before they became the green Gargantua's snacks.

With some boats, the two siblings threw at the larger Somali ships that exploded upon contact, creating floating cauldrons that burned their occupants alive. Their screams could be heard even from the escaping cruise ship.

Moving in closer to their small but dangerous aggressors, Gaira & Sanda ignored the cannon/machine gun fire which invaded their bodies & crept forward like two messengers of death. Amid the tremendous artillery which wasn't spared, the Somali pirates couldn't halt their progress: Gaira & Sanda slammed into the main ships & started pounding upon them like they were slabs of beef in need of tenderizing. Debris & men were tossed violently as pirate ships were getting pummeled mercilessly by the gargantuan siblings, who were still receiving punishment from the men's artillery despite the hopelessness of their situation. Screams of fear, panic & misplaced determination filled each vessel as they meet a gruesome fate by the two monsters.

Changing tactics slightly, Sanda grabbed a ship from underneath & hauled it up over his head, spilling equipment & men overboard. With all his strength, Sanda hurls it over at the nearest pirate ship as both collide & explode together in a fiery blast that fried every living soul. Those that hit the water drowned immediately & sank to the bottom.

Gaira followed his sibling's lead & grabbed another vessel before heading over to a second & pile-drive both of the ships with sledgehammer force. The pirates' screams/cries for help fell on deaf ears as the green Gargantua started picking up survivors & feasted upon them, spitting out the remains of cloth & whatever weapons they had on them.

Some of the pirates tried swimming away, but Gaira caught up with & dined on them as well.

With one ship, Sanda simply lifted & dunked it into the water which flooded instantly & drowned all those hiding within; some screamed in terror, others did not. On another ship, he just used an oversized fist to punch a hole into the hull & let the seawater take it from there as the vessel went down like the Titanic.

A number of other Somali vessels met the same fate.

Gaira literally ripped open one vessel like it was a can of sardines & began feasting upon the men inside, even as they each unloaded their weapons against the nightmare about to consume them like French Fries.

Their cries of horror were abruptly ceased as Gaira chowed down.

Godzilla Junior was getting in _his _licks as well: using his tail like a giant whip, he smashed three boats that had cracked open like metal eggs, spilling their contents of equipment & men into the water while using his heat ray upon one from a distance. It went up in a blazing inferno that left no survivors.

Junior unleashed his fury on a pair of Somali vessels that tried sandwiching him & attacked from both the front & rear. Godzilla's protégé blasts the vessel in front of him with his heat ray, turning it into a steel coffin for those aboard before doing a 180 degree turn in a speed which belied his size. Like Moby Dick did to the Pequod in Herman Melville's immortal novel, Junior swam towards & into the vessel, pulverizing it to scrap in seconds as oil spilled on both halves & its occupants. Doing another quick turn, Godzilla Junior shot forth his heat ray at the first half which went up like a Roman candle, the spilled oil igniting the other half.

All those caught in the oil spill spontaneously combusted before both halves exploded in enormous fireballs as flaming debris & molten metal scatter everywhere.

Fed up with the human vessels attacking him, Godzilla Junior makes short work of them with his heat ray, blasting each one into cauldrons of death that roast every crew member.

Except one.

Staring at the Somali ship that has the leader of this whole sea caravan, Junior held his irate gaze for several tense moments as the crew stares back, their hearts palpitating madly. Even the captain & his second-in-command – both of whom were brazen & bold earlier – were filled with great trepidation, believing that this younger version of the Monster King would be easy pickings.

He was wrong: even at only 40 meters in height, Godzilla Junior proved to be a formidable fighter against enemies which was proven against creatures such as an over-sized Plesiosaurus & Rhamphorhynchus over at Saiko Lake only a year ago; despite having some help from Elsa Sugimoto's ice power, Junior prevailed over the prehistoric menaces on his own.

Now he was determined to finish off these human antagonists without assistance.

Unleashing a blaring roar, Godzilla Junior dove head-first beneath the waves as a puddle of bubbles marked the only proof of his whereabouts.

But the captain & his men knew he wouldn't remain in that same spot for long.

He rushed over to the bridge as fast as his wobbly legs would take him.

"Where did he go?!", he demanded. "Is he still in the area?!"

Searching quick, the man operating the radar caught Junior's movements, & his eyes widened.

He turned to announce his findings but never got to say them: from beneath, Godzilla Junior burst through the vessel's underbelly, throwing the men around violently & breaking their ship in two. Mustering up their courage, both captain & second unslung their rifles & began shooting at Junior, going for broke as their plans for a huge score out on the ocean was a bust. Their cries of rage & vengeance were nearly as loud as their weapons.

They might as well be shooting at ghosts: their bullets didn't even faze Junior but the young monster decided to put them out of their misery by firing his heat ray, hitting both leaders & vaporizing their flesh & bones along with what was left of their vessel.

What started out as a promising score for the Somali pirates ended up in a disaster of epic proportions.

Godzilla Junior bellowed a victory roar, seeing that all enemies were vanquished.

Having eliminated _their _troublesome foes, Gaira & Sanda do the same.

Escaping the carnage that could've turned deadlier on them than it was, those on the cruise ship watched as the monster trio enjoy their victory over the Somali pirates. As expected, not one on board felt the slightest pang of sorrow or sympathy for those that murdered several of their party & tried to rob them of their valuables.

But they still didn't feel like they were out of the woods yet: they feared that if even one of the monsters should turn their attention towards _them _as they did the pirates, there was nothing they could do to prevent a disaster.

Despite the security guards, there was no armament on board their vessel.

It _is _a cruise ship, _not _a Navy ship.

Hearing the engines on the fleeing vessel, Gaira turned to & started advancing towards it, his curiosity peaked.

All those aboard gasped when they witnessed the green Gargantua on their tail, afraid they'll meet the pirates' fate. Sanda intervened when he placed a hand on his sibling's shoulder & gently addressed him they were no threat to any of them, shaking his head & waving his arm slightly.

Replying back with low groans, Gaira agreed to let it go.

Junior replied to the gargantuan siblings that he didn't expect them showing up at his location, but was still very grateful they did. Sanda answered back that they were scouring the ocean bottom looking for nourishment when they sensed him in close proximity & decided to investigate.

When asked what _he _was doing in the area, Junior simply replied he wanted to go exploring since he doesn't get to do so much since becoming something of a guardian to Little Rodan, who is currently being watched by his parent.

Expressing his gratitude again for arriving when they did, Godzilla Junior let loose with a slight roar before diving into the water & disappeared from sight. Gaira & Sanda watched him go, but a sudden urge in both saying that Junior might need further supervision hit their intellect, & that some other danger they don't yet know about still exists.

It was a feeling they couldn't shake off or ignore.

Nor did they want to.

Both gargantuan siblings dive underwater & begin following Godzilla Junior.

Wherever _he _goes, _they _go.

_Somewhere in Arizona:_

He sleeps in his secluded spot where he dozed off for over a week since last feeding, his hunger satisfied.

For now.

But soon that hunger will rise up again from the pit of his stomach, urging him to feed again.

He couldn't dismiss this raging hunger, & had no intention of doing so.

Very soon, he will awaken & get food in his belly to satisfy his raving, ravenous appetite that knows no bounds – exactly as he once did a long time ago.

It will only be a matter of time.

**CHAPTER IV**

_Manuelito Casino & Hotel, Monday, June 19__th__, 6:00 p.m.:_

After a good night's sleep & a hearty breakfast, Tamika took the group back into the state capital – Phoenix – for a sightseeing tour. During the way, Elinor & the rest got another glimpse of the luscious scenery as Tamika gave them a brief history lesson of her native home: how it was home to several Native Americans aside from the Navajo, the first European contact with the natives (Marcos de Niza) in 1539, followed by Father Kino, The Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920, achieving statehood on February 14th, 1912, how it greatly suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s, becoming an internment camp for Japanese-Americans & German POWs during World War II along with many of its Native Americans fought for the United States in that period, having performed special coded messages that the Axis was never able to crack & helped the Allies win, & so forth. She even explained the weather patterns the state receives, being mild during winter with occasional frost & extremely hot during summertime.

The latter statement was something they _definitely _agreed upon, feeling the intense heat even at the earliest hours of daylight. Everyone shared a laugh over it, which was brought up by Eugene.

Kristoff whispered to Anna & Elsa, saying that Olaf probably regrets not going with them, for he would've _loved _being in sultry weather like this. The two Sugimoto sisters giggled, with the Snow Queen saying how hot already it is back home.

Luckily, everyone dressed accordingly, putting on the lightest-colored clothing with round hats to help keep them cool. Pascal, being a reptile, enjoyed basking in the heat but Rapunzel still kept him cool when she can: she explained to her little friend that if a reptile's body gets too cold or too hot, it dies.

Pascal turned yellow in fear of that little fact & collapsed, causing Rapunzel to giggle amusingly but adds that she'll make sure to keep him comfortable. The chameleon turned green & smiled, getting grins from all.

Upon entering the city, Tamika showed them whatever she could, from the factories & various places of business to the elegant homes in the area that looked to cost a pretty penny to the buildings that made up the heart of the city.

None of them reached the status or height of those in Tokyo of course, but they were still impressive nonetheless.

Parking in a shaded spot, Tamika lead the group within the city, stopping at various places for food, entertainment & souvenirs of all kinds. In one shop, Merida gave her mum a pair of round glasses that were blurry & out of focus as she put them on. When Elinor removed them & saw the tag, it read 'see the world through the eyes of a drunk'.

Elinor fumed playfully at Merida for playing the prank on her as the redhead was barely able to keep from bursting out with laughter. Seeing the humor in it, Elinor giggled in good spirits & even made a joke of her own, saying maybe they should get these glasses for Gus to try.

Mother & daughter shared a good laugh, picturing the scenario in their minds.

At one of the department stores, the group searched for new clothing to try: Eugene, Kristoff, Maui, Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Moana, Merida, Elinor & even Tamika tried several outfits for fitness, movement & style.

Some were too tight, causing trouble breathing.

Some were too loose & baggy, making them look like poor hobos.

Some looked too psychedelic, like they were rejects from the 1960s.

Some looked too ridiculous, with nobody having any comment about it!

Watching the various outfits they tried on, Pascal was having a laugh at seeing how silly Rapunzel & the others appeared.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the group found casual clothing that not only _fit _right, they looked _perfect!_

Pascal gave them a double thumbs-up gesture, saying that he approves.

A quick purchase later, & the group have new wardrobes to wear!

Their tour of Phoenix lasted until about 5:00 in the afternoon when they called it a day & headed back to the hotel for a quick shower, dinner & some evening entertainment.

On the entire trip, they took plenty of photos with their cell phones, all captured for prosperity.

Arriving back at the hotel/casino at 6:00 in the evening, they've started discussing the news about the attack on the Somali pirates by Godzilla Junior, Gaira & Sanda off the coast of Perth, Australia: they refrained doing so to enjoy their day together, but now that they've returned, they offered their thoughts of it.

"How ironic", Moana says as they entered the building. "Those Somali pirates had quite an infamous reputation of being terrors on the open seas, but instead run into terrors that were even worse than _them_."

"Yeah", Maui agreed. "Having been on hiatus for four years, their first attempt at making a comeback met with such disastrous results, maybe they ought to think of retiring & going into a _new _profession."

"One that _won't _get them _killed_", Kristoff adds, getting everyone to laugh.

"But then…stupid is as stupid does", Elinor chimed in.

"No law against _that_, Mum", Merida adds, inciting more laughter.

"Just ask Prince Hans & the Duke of Weselton on stupidity", Anna whispered to Elsa.

"_They _both practically wrote the _book _on it", Elsa whispered back.

Both siblings barely kept their laughter in check.

"Say, where's Royce?", Eugene wondered, changing the subject. "Surely he'd be meeting us upon our return."

"He's in the dining room, working on that contraption of his - again", said a slight burly employee wearing a light brown outfit with eyes to match but in a darker shade who holds a pad of paper in one hand. She had black curly hair that reached her shoulders. She had a smile that shined, giving her a warm & fuzzy personality.

_Not again!_, Tamika thought, knowing what 'contraption' she meant.

"Contraption?", Maui wondered.

"_What _contraption?", Moana asked.

"Allow me to show you, Moana. Thanks, Rosie!", Tamika said, leading the group into said area.

Sure enough, when they entered the dining room, they saw Royce working on something resembling a big stereo system with a small table full of equipment & tools. The Navajo was in the rear of it, attempting to fix circuit boards & some wiring. Tamika's sudden calling of his name caused Royce to hit his head along the side.

"Are you _still _working on that defunct karaoke machine?", Tamika asked, approaching him as he stepped out.

"It's one of the hotel's main attractions that will help bring in guests, Tamika!", Royce said defensively. "And it _isn't _'defunct', as you call it: it simply needs replacement parts to get it up & running properly!"

"'Up & running properly', huh? You been _at it _for _weeks_, with no success! If you're so keen on people singing karaoke, just get a _new _one, for pity's sake! Surely you still have enough in your budget for that!"

"I can't just get new things whenever I can, Tamika! Some of that budget money needs to be used for paying the rest of this place's lease! Once I make good money after this place opens up, _then _maybe I'll replace this with something more modern!"

Tamika sighed, giving up.

Eugene whispered in his wife's ear, who nodded with a grin.

"Maybe you won't _need _to wait that long, Royce", Rapunzel said as both Navajos faced her. "Eugene & I know quite a lot about fixing things, so…you mind if _we _tinker with it for a while?"

Royce looked at the machine, his tools & equipment, then back at their smiling faces again.

"Knock yourselves out", he says, giving them space.

"Guys, better go ahead & get yourselves refreshed for tonight", Eugene told the rest of the group. "Rapunzel & I will be up shortly once we get this thing going."

"We'll see you two later", Kristoff says as the gang start heading back to their rooms.

"Let's get cracking, Blondie!", Eugene says.

"Oo-rah!", Rapunzel says before they get down to business.

_9:00 p.m.:_

Eugene & Rapunzel worked on the karaoke machine for a time & gave it a quick test run to see & hear the results before heading upstairs to wash & dress up themselves before heading back down to join everyone else. A dinner that featured freshly-baked pasta along with seafood (shrimp, calamari, etc.) was on the evening's menu, complete with red and/or clam sauce & meatballs. Dessert was certainly a must for the group afterwards, enjoying treats such as ice cream sundaes, brownies & cakes of various flavors. Toppings of fruit, sprinkles, nuts & whipped cream made them all the more satisfying.

After a fulfilling meal, the group decided to give the karaoke machine a whirl now that both Eugene & Rapunzel Benice fixed it properly. Kristoff Sugimoto & Eugene were the first to go up on stage & performed songs from artists such as ZZ Top, Queen, Tom Jones & Elvis.

Royce, Tamika & the rest of their staff were amazed at how well they sang, not to mention how superb Eugene & his wife got the machine to work the way it should.

"Unbelievable!", Royce says. "In all those weeks _I've_ worked on that thing with no success…"

"Eugene & Rapunzel step up & actually _fixed _the darn thing in such a short time – a _half-hour _at most!", Tamika said, finishing for him. "I tell you, Royce: there's _something _about those two _and _their friends that make them, shall we say, unique. There's _more _to these folks than meets the eye, but I just can't put my finger on it yet."

"I'm beginning to have that very same feeling myself about them, Tamika. Don't know what it is or can't explain it yet, but these folks have a real mystery to them…one _I'd _like to discover as much as you. But for now…let's enjoy the evening like young lovers, shall we?"

"I'll _definitely _drink to _that_, Chief!", Tamika said, raising her glass.

"Please don't call me that", Royce said with a smile, raising his own glass.

With a chuckle, they toast each other as the festivities resume.

Kristoff & Eugene stepped down to allow the girls to take the stage. Elsa Sugimoto became the first to perform for everyone as she uses the now-functioning karaoke machine to help her with the songs she's selected on this evening, including this number which was recorded by Cher in 1973.

She sings the title track which begins with the sounds of drums banging & small thimbles clashing:

My father married a pure Cherokee

My mother's people were ashamed of me

The Indians said that I was white by law

The white men always called me 'Indian Squaw'

Half-breed! That's all I ever heard

Half-breed! How I learned to hate the word

Half-breed! She's no good, they warned

Both sides were against me since the day I was born

We never settled, went from town to town

When you're not welcome you don't hang around

The other children always laughed at me

'Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee', yeah

Half-breed! That's all I ever heard

Half-breed! How I learned to hate the word

Half-breed! She's no good, they warned

Both sides were against me since the day I was born

We weren't accepted & I fell to shame

Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame?

My life since then has been from man to man

But I can't run away from what I am

Half-breed! That's all I ever heard

Half-breed! How I learned to hate the word

Half-breed! She's no good, they warned

Both sides were against me since the day I was born

Half-breed! That's all I ever heard

Half-breed! How I learned to hate the word

Half-breed! She's no good, they warned

Both sides were against me since the day I was born

The audience – which also included Rosie & the rest of Royce's staff, who've been enjoying the show since the boys started it off – clapped joyfully at Elsa's performance of Cher's 1973 hit & her other songs. When Elsa asked the two Navajos if they thought the song was offensive in any way, Royce & Tamika told her 'not a chance'.

On the contrary, they enjoyed it immensely, & they let Elsa know it.

Elsa's heart was filled with pride.

Up next was Anna Sugimoto & Rapunzel Benice.

Both dear friends performed duets on songs whether or not done so originally, & on this night they choose to do so to songs performed by singer Olivia Newton-John, who was also known for acting in films such as 'Xanadu', 'Two of a Kind' & 'Grease', the latter two she starred with John Travolta, who is a singer himself.

Anna & Rapunzel's next & final song is from Olivia's 1981 album 'Physical', which featured this number from said year, starting off with a catchy funk/disco beat with Elsa, Moana & Merida doing backup vocals:

I can tell you got plans for me

And your eyes are saying you made them carefully

But tonight I have to say there just might be another way

Won't you spare me all the charms & take me in your arms

I can't wait

I can't wait

I'm the one you want, that's all I want to be

So come on baby, make a move on me

Got nowhere to go, all my time is free

So come on baby, make a move on me tonight

I can't wait (I can't wait)

I can't wait (I can't wait)

(A brief musical interlude commences before Anna & Rapunzel resume)

You made the prettiest speech I've heard

But a single touch surely is worth a thousand words

To a heart that's open wide & from the start was on your side

Won't you spare me all the charms & take me in your arms

I can't wait

I can't wait

I'm the one you want, that's all I want to be

So come on baby, make a move on me

Got nowhere to go, all my time is free

So come on baby, make a move on me tonight

I can't wait (I can't wait)

I can't wait (I can't wait)

I'm the one you want, that's all I want to be

So come on baby, make a move on me

Got nowhere to go, all my time is free

So come on baby, make a move on me tonight

I can't wait (I can't wait)

I can't wait (I can't wait)

I'm the one you want, that's all I want to be

So come on baby, make a move on me

Got nowhere to go, all my time is free

Once they complete their song, Anna & Rapunzel hand the stage over to Moana Kealoha, who goes for singing songs by one of her favorites: Janet Jackson, the younger sister of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, the latter of whom sadly passed away on June 25th, 2009 at the age of 50 from cardiac arrest caused by benzodiazepine intoxication along with acute propofol.

Like Maui himself, Moana loved Janet's music since her childhood.

Each of Moana's renditions of Janet's songs were done with perfection, almost as if she'd recorded it herself & made the song her own. This next one was no exception: it came from Janet Jackson's 1986 album 'Control', which is a soft ballad that had Moana once again singing lead with her friends backing her up.

It began with a soothing R&B sound:

There's something I want to tell you

There's something I think that you should know

It's not that I shouldn't really love you

Let's take it slow

When we get to know each other

And we're both feeling much stronger

Then let's try to talk it over

Let's wait awhile longer

Let's wait awhile

Before it's too late

Let's wait awhile

Before we go too far

Remember that special night

When all of the stars were shining bright

We made our first endeavor to stay together

We made our very first promise

To love, to share, & be real honest

But on that very first night

It wasn't quite right

Let's wait awhile

Before it's too late

Let's wait awhile

Our love will be great

Let's wait awhile

Before we go too far

I didn't really know not to let all my feelings show

To save some for later so our love can be greater

You said you would always love me

Remember, I said the same thing too

You don't have to be frightened with my love

Because, I'll never give up on you

Let's wait awhile

Ah well before it's too late

You know you can't rush love, love

Let's wait awhile

(Ooh hoo hoo)

Before it's too late

Let's wait awhile

(Wait awhile)

Our love will be great

Let's wait awhile

Before we go too far

(Oh, oh ooh)

Let's wait awhile

(Let's just take our time)

Before it's too late

Let's wait awhile

(Your love's so good, we shouldn't rush it)

Our love will be great

Let's wait awhile

(Slow it down)

Before we go too far

(Ooh)

La de lee de da da de de de, da da da da la da

La de lee de da da de de de, da da da da la da da

La de lee de da de de de

I promise, I'll be worth the wait

The song ended almost exactly as it began, getting applause from their audience.

Merida Fleming became next as she did several songs to match her fiery, rambunctious attitude which made for interesting yet fun performances. Her final number was a rock song that is something of a ballad written & performed by Pete Townshend, from his 1980 album 'Empty Glass'.

Beginning with a devotional sound, the song picks up seconds later as Merida unleashes her inner Townshend as Elsa & company back her up:

When people keep repeating

That you'll never fall in love

When everybody keeps retreating

But you can't seem to get enough

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

To your heart

(Let my love open the door)

(Let my love open the door)

(Let my love open the door)

(Let my love open the door)

When everything feels all over

Everybody seems unkind

I'll give you a four-leaf clover

Take all worry out of your mind

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

To your heart

(Let my love open the door)

To your heart

(Let my love open the door)

(Let my love open the door)

(Let my love open the door)

I have the only key to your heart

I can stop you falling apart

Try today you'll find this way

Come on & give me a chance to say

Let my love open the door

It's all I'm living for

Release yourself from misery

There's only one thing gonna set you free

That's my love

That's my love

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

When tragedy befalls you

Don't let it drag you down

Love can cure your problems

You're so lucky I'm around

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

Let my love open the door

To your heart

For the remainder of the song, Merida & the girls give a dance before cheers from Royce & company.

Like the lady she's become, Merida & her friends take a bow.

Elinor was always proud when she does so.

Maui Kealoha was next up, & he went for several R&B songs performed by Fats Domino right up to those done by Mr. Isaac Hayes, the legendary artist who passed away on August 10th, 2008 at age 65 from a stroke. This number he does is the theme from the 1971 movie 'Shaft', played by Richard Roundtree during the 'blaxploitation' films of the 70s decade.

For over two-&-a-half minutes, the song goes into a funk/R&B-style music interlude as Maui & the girls perform dance moves to the groove before getting to the vocals, which Maui does so well.

He even wore a pair of shades just like Isaac was famous for having:

Who's the black private dick

That's a love machine to all the chicks?

(Shaft!) You darn right!

Who is the man that would risk his neck

For his brother man?

(Shaft!) Can you dig it?

Who's the cat that won't cop out

When there's danger all about?

(Shaft!) Right on!

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother…

(Shut your mouth!)

But I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft

(Then we can dig it!)

He's a complicated man

But no one understands him but his woman

(John Shaft!)

The rest of the song was like the beginning but shorter, & Maui was applauded along with the girls as they've all provided backing vocals. Big grins adorned their faces.

"You make Isaac Hayes _very _proud, Maui!", Royce called out.

"And _we _can dig it!", Rosie & Louis called out, grinning.

Even Tamika was hugely impressed by the display, including on how well Eugene & Rapunzel made the karaoke machine work like it's supposed to – and in a way shorter time than Royce spent on it.

_Maybe this casino & hotel Royce put up _will _help our people after all!_, Tamika thought, seeing how well things are going thus far.

But she wasn't about to tell that to her boyfriend…yet.

"Hey folks, how about a little treat before bedtime?", Rosie asked. "You've all _more _than earned it!"

Moana checked her watch.

"Perhaps another time, Rosie", she says. "It's 11:30, & I for one could _use _a good night's rest."

The others checked their own watches, seeing the late hour themselves.

"Whoa! It _is _nearing the witching hour, isn't it?", Anna says.

"Yeah, Anna…time really _does _fly when you're having fun!", Kristoff adds.

Elinor chuckles.

"Don't worry you two…tomorrow's another day, so let's all get some well-deserved shut-eye, yes?", she says.

"Sounds like a plan, Elinor", Eugene says, stifling a yawn. "Let's call it a night, people. See you in the morning."

"We may as well follow their example, Royce", Tamika said. "Today _has _been rather exhausting."

"You go on ahead, Tamika. I'll be up in a while", Royce says, getting up from his chair & exiting the room.

Too tired to ask what he meant, Tamika took his advice & left for bed.

Unbeknownst to all, a lone figure watched the group perform on stage in complete anonymity.

He left just as secretly as he arrived.

_11:35 p.m.:_

The Manuelito was quiet as a tomb, with not even a single slot machine going as Royce headed towards his office in order to take care of some last-minute business before hitting the sack. He had the highest hopes for his place, & it's owed quite a lot to his Benice, Fleming, Kealoha & Sugimoto guests, for they've _really_ added spice to the festivities to a place that hasn't even _opened_ yet.

Royce was glad to have them stay at his place for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, & he made a mental note to give them each a big bonus before they leave for home.

He smiled at the thought.

But when he opened the door to his office & looked inside, that grin was wiped from his face like one would do to dirt with a piece of cloth. He saw a man sitting in the chair at his desk wearing an expensive black suit with red tie & white undershirt. The man had a short crop of hair on his head that looked like it was spiked on top, & his eyes were brown with a face that seemed more like a snake's than a human's.

It wasn't hard for Royce to see the resemblance, as he's seen it before.

He's _also _learned to _loathe _it.

"Clyde Winchester!", Royce said lowly with venom in his voice.

"Hello, Royce", Clyde said, his voice a mixture of a cowboy & southern accent. "Long time no see."

"Not long enough to suit _me_, Clyde!", Royce replied angrily, shutting the door & walking over to him. "What are you _doing _here, anyway?!"

"Oh, just checking up on you, seeing how well you're holding up on your little business here. I see you've already managed to have some _guests _stay here _way _ahead of your opening day. What – you couldn't wait until then? You _that _desperate to prove what a success this place is meant to be ahead of schedule?"

"How _I _run this place is my _own _business! And if you _must _know, those 'guests' staying are simply on _vacation!_ Nothing more!"

"Really? Who are they?"

"Again, that's _my _business!"

"No need to get insolent here, Royce. I'm just here for a friendly little chat, is all."

"As if! Whenever you show up at either my place _or _at Hal's, there's nothing 'friendly' about it! We _both _know you've had it in for us ever since he took over the Robbins Butte Game Reserve not too far from here! For _years _you've tried swindling us into giving it up, but I got _news_ for you: we ain't _never _giving either place up to someone like you, so maybe you ought to find some _other _area to invest in – one neither of us have _any _claim on!"

Clyde & Royce stared at each other for what seemed like forever, their thoughts racing.

It was broken by the former as he spoke.

"Well, it seems to _me _like you got things well in hand, Royce", he says, rising from his seat & walking over the desk. "As for having it in for you & Hal, you both won the properties fair & square. I don't let petty things like holding a meaningless _grudge_ wear me down – I'm _above _that sort of thing."

_Yeah, right!_, Royce thought.

"But while I _did _come for a friendly visit & wish you well in your endeavor with this place, I _do _need to give you the bottom line", Clyde puts in. "Your deadline in paying for the remainder of this building is due on the 30th this month. Unless it's paid in full by then, I'm afraid I'll have to foreclose & take it off your hands."

"You can't _do _that!", Royce snapped.

"Oh yes I can. In case you may have forgotten, red boy, _I _work for my Uncle Sam, meaning I work for the U.S. Government. If my superiors tell me I'm to foreclose on a certain property if they can't pay what's owed them in time, then you can bet the rent that's just what I'm going to do."

"Meaning that when your government tells you to jump, you ask 'how high', is that it?"

"That's the way it _works_, son. What's more, if I _am _ordered to take this building off your hands, I'm in my legal rights to do so. I wouldn't _want _to, of course: I _am _fully aware of how much it _means _to you. But if my bosses over at Washington, D.C. says to remove its ownership from you, then the law must take its course."

Royce was about to lose his temper with the government man but kept it in check, if barely.

"I see you've made your point, Clyde!", he said with barely controlled rage. "Now _I'm _going to make something straight to _you_: I've sweated blood, sweat & tears to create this place to help my Navajo tribe! I don't give a cow's rear end _who _you are or who you _work _for: _no way _will I _ever _lose my prized possession over to some…"

When Royce was hesitant to say what he wished to, Clyde finished it for him.

"Over to some _what_, Royce?", he urged. "Over to some _white boy? _Go on…ain't you got it in you to _say _it? You _know _you want to! Or is it because you're too close to Hal Jenkins & his friends that you're afraid of insulting them if you do?"

Royce stayed silent, knowing Clyde had a point.

"That's what I figured", Clyde continued. "Don't forget, Royce: June 30th by midnight, not a second later. Oh, & please don't bother with showing me to the door: I found my own way in, I can just as easily show myself out as well."

Clyde made for the door but stopped short of it & turned to Royce.

"See you around, red boy", he said before exiting & closing the door.

The young Navajo was going to have trouble sleeping tonight.

_At the hotel entrance:_

Clyde walked out of the building as he was joined by his man, one who was quite an intimidating presence at a height of over six feet & as nearly as stony in appearance & attitude as his boss.

"So boss…how did it go?", he asked Clyde as they made their way to their vehicle – a black SUV with windows that were tinted.

"About as well as expected, Shane", Clyde said. "Let's hit the road."

"Yes sir."

Clyde got in the driver's seat as Shane rode shotgun.

While driving north on the 10 Highway, the two engaged in business.

"So…you got what I asked for?", Clyde says.

"You bet I did, boss", Shane says, taking out a yellow folder with papers inside & opening it. Shane sifts through them as he continued. "Royce's guests are something of a…fascinating read: first up are Maui & Moana Kealoha, who are a brother & sister pair that are next in line to be the owners of Maui Enterprises in Honolulu, Hawaii. As you might recall, it suffered heavy damage when that firebird creature the press dubbed 'Manu Ahi' ravaged the city during that beneficial concert there last year."

"The one hosted by husband-&-wife musicians Patricia & Nathan Benice?"

"The very same. Speaking _of _the Benices…are you aware that their adoptive family members Eugene & Rapunzel are _also _a married pair?"

Clyde looked stunned by the news.

"No, actually…I did _not_", he said. "I always thought they were _relatives_, like cousins or something. I would _never _have guessed that Patricia & Nathan would adopt a pair who were _married_, of all things."

"Neither would I, for that matter", Shane said. "They also performed with their friends Merida Fleming & three members of the Sugimoto family: Kristoff, Anna & Elsa during the beneficial concerts in Los Angeles in December 2015 after it was invaded by Godzilla, Mecha-King Ghidorah & Gigan, followed by NYC's Madison Square Garden only last year, _also _in December."

"Sugimoto…as in _Tajima _Sugimoto, the world's most leading expert on _Godzilla?_"

"You got it: he & his family discovered those three while on a business trip to Norway in late November 2013 & took them all to Tokyo & under their wing when they found they were homeless. A year later, they were made official members of his family when they were granted with the Sugimoto name."

"I see. What can you tell me about _them?_"

"The ones called Anna & Kristoff don't have too much on _their _resumes, but _Elsa _is another story: she's a member of the Mechagodzilla crew, if you can believe it."

The eyes of Clyde widened upon this revelation.

"That white-haired girl at the hotel is a Mechagodzilla operative? I don't _believe _it!", Clyde asked, the surprise in his voice.

"Believe it", Shane replied. "She was made a member by the late General Ronald Len Ernie of the U.S. Army. In fact, it was _her _who put the monster Gigan on ice before getting blasted to bits, as she's the one who operates MG's Absolute Zero Cannon. She also assisted the Russian Spetsnaz while attempting to apprehend the rogue scientist named Kazimir Volkov on the outskirts of Moscow, & lent a hand to the French Foreign Legion in Paris trying to stop a horde of man-eating insects from entering the city. Just last year in Osaka, she fought the creatures named Diablo & Necrosan, freezing the latter beast before Godzilla blasted _him _to frozen pieces."

Clyde took a moment for the info to be absorbed.

He nodded, saying he understood.

"Quite a career in such a short time, I must say", he said. "What about Merida Fleming? What you got on _her?_"

"Oh, you're gonna _love _this", Shane says. "Merida Fleming is a _secret agent_, of all things."

This is the piece of info that _really _made Clyde's eyes go agape, nearly popping out of their sockets.

"You've _got _to be pulling my _leg_, Shane!", he said. "That redhead I saw back there is an _agent_…a James Bond wannabe?!"

"More like _Jane _Bond, but yes…that she is", Shane replied. "Her father is Gus Fleming, who's _also _an agent for a British agency. Both of _them_ have performed a number of successful missions together, including preventing nuclear holocaust between us & Russia, halting the progress of a plutonium shipment to North Korea, & even stopping a Brit mobster earlier this month from swindling money from those who suffered in the monsters' attack in London last year. Merida is _exceptionally _skilled at using the bow & arrow, & just like Gus, she's _well_ adept at hand-to-hand combat."

"And what about Elinor Fleming? Is _she _an agent as well?"

"No, she's simply Gus' wife. They tied the knot in March last year before going on their London honeymoon – when Gaira & Sanda showed up to battle that mutant octopus creature."

"What about any _other _background info can you give me on them, Shane?"

"Well boss, _that's _a matter for Sherlock Holmes: I couldn't find a _single trace _of any, from medical records to a _birth certificate_,of all things."

"That's _crazy! _We _all _had to be born at one time or another – _nobody _just pops up from out of nowhere! Are you sure you got _everything _you could on these people?"

"Every single piece, boss. Believe me: _I'm _just as shocked about all this as _you _are. It's like these people exist, & yet somehow they _don't_."

Clyde took a moment or two to allow it all to sink in.

"Curiouser & curiouser, to quote the Mad Hatter", he says. "Does anyone _else _at the Pentagon _or _Washington, D.C. know about those files on these people?"

"No…I made sure I compiled these strictly off the record", Shane said. "Far as _I _can tell, only _we _know of this."

"Good man, Shane. For now, I want this kept between the two of us. _I _want to do some digging into these people when the time is right, but we'll do so on _my _terms."

"No problem, boss. Mum's the word, as they say."

Both men grinned at Shane's remark as the plot was really becoming to thicken.

The rest of their trip to Phoenix was in dead silence.

**CHAPTER V**

_Manuelito Casino & Hotel, Tuesday, June 20__th__, 9:00 a.m.:_

Like he predicted, Royce _did _have trouble sleeping that night: unable to return to bed with Tamika, he spent the night on one of the sofas in the lobby area, tossing & turning around quite often that he nearly fell off & hit the floor. In his dreams he envisioned Clyde seizing everything he owned & loved, including Tamika. Worse, he was unable to get it back as some force prevented him from doing so.

Try as he might, he could not succeed.

It got even worse when Clyde pulled a rifle on him, aimed right at Royce's head.

And he can't move a muscle!

Clyde smiled as he pulled the trigger.

Royce neither heard nor felt the shot, for he heard someone call his name.

"_Royce!_"

The sudden snap of his name being called woke the young Navajo. As he adjusted his eyes, he saw both Elinor Fleming & Tamika standing over him.

"Elinor? Tamika?", he said, sounding like he has a frog in his throat.

"In the flesh!", the latter lady says, her hands on her hips. "When I saw you absent from our _bed _this morning, I feared the worst! Did you sleep down here _all night?! _What happened?"

Royce suddenly remembered his meeting with Clyde & straightened himself out as best he can.

"I-I'm sorry, Tamika", he says as convincingly as possible. "I got so hung up on matters in my office the other night, I must've dozed off & crashed here while heading my way up to you."

Neither woman seemed to buy his story, their faces full of doubt.

"I don't know, young man", Elinor says. "I've learned from experience that I can _always _tell when something _is _weighing heavy on a person's mind – and something _certainly _has placed a burden on _your _shoulders."

"Same here, Royce, so _out _with it!", Tamika said in a no-nonsense tone.

Royce racked his brain to figure out how to tell them, knowing the jig was up: whether they wished to hear it or not, what occurred in his office couldn't wait.

The sound of a vehicle pulling up to the building caught their attention as the group sees a black limo with large pointed horns on the hood.

It was a vehicle they'd know instantly.

"Hal!", Royce said, rising from the couch & heading to the front door with the ladies following.

Said cowboy exited his ride & made his way inside.

"Hello again, Royce!", Hal replied as both men embraced briefly.

"Is it that time to take our new friends down to the ranch already?", Royce asked.

"Well, I _did_ tell your guests I'd bring them over to the ranch in a day or two so they can enjoy a little bit of life on it. And besides, those kids undoubtedly miss their animals, so let's not keep them apart from each other any longer, shall we?"

"Sounds good to _me_, Hal! Let's do it!"

"The kids will be so _happy _to be with their steeds again, Hal!", Elinor said. "Plus, I don't believe _any _of us have _ever _been to a cowboy ranch before, so it'd be the perfect opportunity to go & check it out! Wait here while I go & tell them!"

"No need to, Elinor – we've already heard!", Maui said as he & the rest approached with eager faces.

"And it _will _be good to see Max, Sven & Angus again!", Moana adds. "Two days _can _feel like forever!"

Pascal nodded, concurring with the explorer.

"That's what I figured!", Hal says, grinning. "Hop yourselves into the limo, young buckaroos…we're all heading down to the ranch so you can discover all of its wonders!"

"Give Elsa & myself a couple minutes & we'll be all yours, Hal!", Merida said as she & the Snow Queen left to get to their rooms to pick up certain 'luggage'.

"We'll be in the limo awaiting you gals! Come on, young'uns!", Hal replied as he went back to his ride with the rest following him.

Royce was about to join them when Tamika stood in front of & stared him in the eye.

"You _still _owe me an explanation for last night, man-of-mine", she warned.

"Tell you what, Tamika: let's get over to Hal's ranch first, _then _I'll spill the beans to you", Royce says. "This is something _he _needs to hear as well."

"What's _Hal _got to do with it?"

"Everything, I'm afraid."

Royce went out to catch up with Hal & the group, leaving Tamika wondering what her boyfriend meant.

Without another word, she followed him out.

_The Robbins Butte Game Preserve, AZGFD, nearly two hours later:_

All it took for Elsa & Merida was just over two minutes to collect something essential – a trio of metal cases; one for Merida, two for Elsa – before rejoining the group. Placing them in the trunk of the limo, both ladies entered & they were well on their way to Hal Jenkins' neck of the woods. Instead of going through the state capital like Tamika did the other day, Hal took a detour that showed the group more of the beautiful Arizona scenery that included the Gila River, which ran through a good portion of the state.

Using their cell phones, the group took whatever pictures of it they could.

Hal followed a dirt road that lead them to their destination: a ranch that was filled with various homes that seemed to fill half the area, with livestock pens that kept numerous cattle, cows, chickens, pigs & other animals. Over near the main entrance, a pair of helicopters were placed on a concrete landing pad: one was a tan-colored CH-47 Chinook, with the other being an AgustaWestland AW109 in the same color shade. A pair of barns stood over on the right that would no doubt keep multiple equestrians inside.

Kristoff, Eugene & Merida were hoping to find their steeds within.

"Amazing!", Anna said as everyone took pics with their cells.

"Knew you young'uns would like it!", Hal said happily. "Folks…welcome to the Robbins Butte Game Preserve!"

Once Hal pulls into the gravel parking lot & stops the limo, he & his party step out & take in the immense piece of property Hal is the proud owner of. As Elsa & Merida take out their cases from the trunk, several men on horses call out the man's name as they ran towards him, stopping only a foot or so.

One of these riders was a female dressed in a cute white cowgirl outfit, complete with hat & boots. Her hair was raven black & a pair of eight-shooter guns hung at her hips with a full belt of ammunition.

"Hello, Hal!", she said with a grin.

"Hello, sweetheart!", Hal said, helping her off her steed. "Folks, I'd like you to meet Daphne Jenkins – my wife!"

The two share a passionate kiss before Daphne started greeting their new guests.

"Greetings, y'all!", she said. "Hal's told me a _lot _about you folks, & we welcome you to our home & sanctuary – especially you & Tamika, Royce! You're both _always _a welcome sight for _these_ eyes!"

Royce & Tamika smile at each other, the feeling making them forget everything briefly.

"We're all glad you came by today…and we're not the _only _ones!", Daphne went on, giving out a whistle as the sound of hooves urged three steeds to charge in immediately.

It was a sight Maui, Moana & the rest were happy to see.

"Sven!", Kristoff, Anna & Elsa cried out.

"Maximus!", Eugene & Rapunzel cried.

"Angus!", Merida & Elinor cried.

Each of their animals went to their groups waiting for them & got cuddled like long-lost family members.

"I _missed _you, boy!", Merida says, snuggling/patting his mane.

"You enjoy your stay here, Max?", Rapunzel asked as Maximus gave out a happy neigh.

"How'd they treat you, buddy?", Kristoff asked Sven.

"Like I was a prince! They fed me lots of carrots, but it was _lonely _here without you!", Kristoff said in his 'Sven voice'.

"Glad to hear it!", Kristoff said regularly. "And I missed you too!"

Kristoff & Sven snuggled each other's face as Anna & Elsa giggle.

Daphne does so herself, enjoying the display.

"You were _right_, Hal: he _does _like to pretend he's talking to his reindeer!", she says. "I think it's _cute!_"

"I _told _ya you'd like them!", Hal said, grinning with her.

"Why don't we get everyone settled inside our place, Hal? There's enough spare bedrooms for everyone to rest comfortably in."

"Good idea, honey: I'll let _you _have that honor of leading them into our humble abode."

"You're the best, babe! Come on, folks!"

Daphne lead the way for her new arrivals as Elinor & company followed her towards the largest house in the lot, easily indicating they _are _the owners of this glorious ranch which seemed more like a mini town. Anna Sugimoto was first to mention this, getting a laugh from Daphne & several of the men & saying she was correct.

Only Royce & Tamika stayed behind, their faces in a not-so-happy mood like they were moments ago.

For Hal, it was a red flag which told him something was amiss.

"You looked troubled, Royce…both you _and _Tamika", Hal said. "You kids all right?"

With a pleading look from Tamika, Royce lets his friend know.

"I need to speak with you, Hal", he said. "I don't think you're gonna like it."

Wondering what he meant, Hal nodded.

"Let's join up with the others, & you can tell me all about it", he said, already making his way there.

Five seconds later, Royce & Tamika followed him.

_Twelve minutes later:_

Once Daphne escorted her new guests inside their home, she showed them each to their rooms in which they'd be staying in: they were neatly-made & had two beds in each room, making it simple for pairings. Anna & Elsa in one; Maui & Moana in another; Eugene & Rapunzel sharing one more; Merida & Elinor in a fourth.

Kristoff got one all to himself. It didn't feel awkward at all to the outdoorsman.

After everybody got settled in, they went downstairs into the dining room with Hal, Daphne, Royce, Tamika & Bill Sidewinder as Royce gave an explanation of his unexpected run-in with Clyde Winchester the other night.

It shocked Tamika & boiled the blood of Hal & Daphne Jenkins.

"That filthy _snake!_", Daphne barked, banging her fist on the table. "I _knew _we'd be hearing from him again, but to go & harass Royce like this?! That's low…even for _him!_"

"So _this _is why you waited to tell me what was disturbing you before – wasn't it, Royce?", Tamika asked.

"That's _exactly _why, Tamika", Royce said. "Like I said, it was a matter for both Hal _and _myself."

"Who _is _this Clyde Winchester, anyway?", asked Maui.

"He's a man who works for the U.S. government", Hal explains. "Years ago, he wanted to buy this patch of land we're all now occupying to build himself a ranch of his own. Royce & I were eyeing this same piece of land about one week _before _Clyde decided to take it. In a race against time, Royce & I were able to buy the land fair & square, thanks to inheritance money left by our parents. Not only _did _we succeed in securing this land, Royce was also able to build his casino & hotel at the spot it now stands. We've been inseparable as friends ever since."

"But needless to say, it _wasn't _the end of Clyde", Moana says.

"Not by a _long _shot, Moana", said Daphne. "Every time we owed the money to pay for the mortgage/upkeep of our properties, Clyde would try in one form or another to swindle or rob us from doing so, but luckily we've always managed to stay one step ahead of him & paid it in time."

"He really _is _a snake, from how you folks describe him!", Elinor says. "Didn't you try to _report _his activities to his superiors on how he tried to cheat you all?"

"Unfortunately, in _that _department, Clyde has managed to stay one step ahead of _us_", Daphne says. "Even though we always beat him to the punch with our payments, he gets away scot-free due to his position & lack of evidence."

"I _know _I'm speaking for everybody here when I say that I _already _don't like this guy!", Eugene said.

Rapunzel & the rest nodded in full agreement.

"So now he comes back to try again!", Rapunzel says. "Maybe we should lay a _trap _for him – one that will teach him to keep his slimy mitts _off _you people _and _your properties!"

"Oh, don't you worry none, Rapunzel", Hal said. "He hasn't brought us down yet, & we won't allow him to do so now. But we didn't invite you people down here to get worried about any financial troubles on _our _behalf, so let's start making your visit here the best we can. And Daphne & I know of a _perfect _way to begin!"

The husband-&-wife winked at each other.

"Tell me, folks", Daphne asked the group. "Who's up for a helicopter ride?"

Everyone's faces lit up like Christmas trees.

_Over the Grand Canyon National Park:_

One of Hal's helicopter pilots – a man named Stu – was asked to give Elinor & company a flight over the state of Arizona for a little tour. Eugene & Rapunzel told Stu to give the bill for payment over to Patricia & Nathan Benice via wire transfer, saying they'd be happy to handle it.

Knowing who the husband-&-wife musicians were, Stu said he'd give them & their friends a discount.

With Hal & Daphne already taking care of such matters, Stu lifted off with everyone aboard which included the animals as the Chinook Stu piloted had more than enough room.

Getting over the terrain & seeing everything from Phoenix right up to the Grand Canyon itself was a spectacle to behold for the group. Once arriving at the Grand Canyon, Stu gave them a vast history on one of the most breathtaking places in America or anywhere in the world, stating that the canyon measured 277 miles long, 18 miles wide & attains a depth of over a mile – 6,093 feet.

Everybody who lived in centuries past whistled at this revelation, including Pascal.

Stu also gave them history on the Navajo & all other settlers who'd wandered this marvel of geography, with the Pueblo people once claiming it as a holy site, along with other tidbits of fascinating history. When Elinor asked of the river that runs through it, Stu told her it was the Colorado River – a long snake of water that begins at the central Rocky Mountains in Colorado & goes through not only the Grand Canyon, but also Lake Mead on the Nevada/Arizona border, where it enters Mexico & ends up at the Gulf of California.

In between, Stu mentions it connects with the famous Hoover Dam located at the Nevada/Arizona border – a dam which provides irrigation water & hydroelectric power to thousands of homes & businesses.

Like the Grand Canyon, it is one of America's most iconic places across the country.

Everyone wondered the disaster it'd be if Godzilla or any other of Earth's monsters were to simply destroy such a wonder of man, but no one said it aloud.

When Anna asked if they could fly over the Hoover Dam, Stu apologetically said they wouldn't have the fuel to make the trip at their current position, disappointing the group.

But he _did _say he might suggest it before they're scheduled to head home.

It was a compromise they could live with.

Stu remained in the area for an hour before heading back to the ranch.

It was mid-afternoon when they touched base again.

As Stu started to refuel his whirlybird, Maui & the group told Hal, Daphne & the rest of the exciting flight they've had since liftoff. They were pleased to hear of the great time they ensued, & it was still time to enjoy activities on the very ranch itself. One of them was in practicing with a firearm as both men & ladies took turns in shooting tin cans all placed along a fence for them to hit.

Eugene, Kristoff & Maui were shaky at first, but they managed to pull it off after nearly a half-hour.

Most of the ladies did better: _they _hit their targets on the first shot each, leaving everyone speechless.

Daphne asked if this was their first time in firing guns, & they all said 'yes'.

Merida's attempt was even _more _stunning: the only difference with _her _is that she didn't need or want to shoot off any guns, for she used what she uses best.

Her bow & arrows.

With hardly missing a beat, Merida shot & struck each tin can that was set up in rapid succession, being done in only seconds.

Like she always does, Merida Fleming smiled with pride as Hal, Daphne & all of the other cowboys stared with eyes that were agape. Royce & Tamika were no different.

Merida noticed the looks on their faces & asked 'what?', still with a big smile on her face.

Elinor burst out laughing while everyone else snickered, barely able to hold it in.

A nice game of horseshoe followed shortly after, being fun for all including the steeds as they'd watched back & forth the throwing of titled objects being tossed in order to hook each one around a metal peg stuck in the ground.

Everyone who played did quite well, with Maui & company doing fairly better than the rest.

Dinnertime came at 6:00 as they all sat down to a nice meal of well-prepared steak & ham, with mashed potatoes & gravy along with corn on the side. It was washed down with luscious apple cider that was homemade. As Kristoff predicted, Sven was fed with fresh carrots as he was during his stay at the ranch, along with Maximus & Angus on _their _favorite diets.

Hal, Daphne & the rest were thanked highly by everyone for taking care of their animals like they promised.

The Jenkins pair said it was nothing, & that the three steeds took a huge liking to them.

As they ate, Hal & Royce told the tale of how their bond in friendship became unbreakable: their ancestors met long ago during the First World War, doing their part at home while those that enlisted went to fight. It had strengthened further during World War II, & lasts right up to this day with Hal Jenkins & Royce Bidziil.

Having ancestors that were wealthy didn't hurt either, & they all got a laugh from that little fact.

Pascal of course got _his _share of food, gobbling up each piece with his tongue & savoring the great flavor.

Once dinner was over with, everyone enjoyed a little television & viewed some classic episodes of 'Gunsmoke', which starred the late James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon. It was followed up by a viewing of the 1960 western film 'Flaming Star', starring Elvis Presley & Barbara Eden, the latter of which would achieve greater fame as Jeannie in the 1965-1970 sitcom 'I Dream of Jeannie'.

Kristoff even so much as sang the title song at the beginning of the movie, showing how much of a fan he is of the King of Rock & Roll.

It put big smiles on the faces of Hal, Daphne & the other cowboys, as they were fans of Elvis themselves.

Being good hostesses, Elinor gave Daphne a hand in washing dishes as Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Merida & Moana all dried & put them away in their proper place.

"While it _is _most appreciated, you ladies didn't _have _to help me in the kitchen", Daphne said. "You _are _our _guests_, after all."

"Nonsense, Daphne", Moana said. "It's the _least _we can do for offering us sanctuary in your home."

"And all the _activities _that took place today, from the helicopter flight seeing one of the country's wonders right up to the horseshoe game the kids & I played!", Elinor says, placing another dish in the drainer. "Having _read _about a life on a ranch, I've always _wanted _to experience it for real!"

"It's not much different from living on a farm, truth be told", Daphne says. "While it's a big chore, it's one of the most fulfilling & rewarding occupations in the world. Hal & I wouldn't trade or give it up for anything else."

"Glad to hear it, Daphne!", Rapunzel said. "Like it's often said, 'if it feels good, do it'!"

"Amen!", they chanted, giggling together.

Elsa saw something occurring outside from the window, her curiosity peaking: she could see Hal talking to four of his men, each one carrying a backpack & siting upon their horses, armed with rifles & pistols with ammo. Because the window was closed, Elsa couldn't hear what was being discussed, & due to them being far away & dark outside, she couldn't lip-read either.

"Elsa?", Anna says, noticing her sister staring out the window. She, Daphne & the rest join her & see what Elsa was witnessing.

A minute later, those on horses turned & rode off into the night.

"Daphne…what's _that _all about?", Elsa wondered.

"There's times when Hal & I would send some men out to do nightly patrols for security reasons", she explained. "It's just to keep coyotes & the like away from the herd, even though we've got guard dogs watching over the place."

"It doesn't have anything to do with Clyde Winchester, does it?", Moana asked.

"Hardly. But if he or any of his men _are _skulking anywhere near this area, they'll regret it for sure. You'll all be safe & secure around here, so let's finish up & head for bed, okay?"

Having nothing else to say on the matter, the girls agree.

_The Robbins Butte Game Preserve, Wednesday, June 21__st__, 7:00 a.m.:_

Aside from worrying about Hal's friends wandering off the other night, the group all slept like babies & woke up refreshed to a breakfast of eggs, toast & bacon. Merida was a little late for it, having ridden on Angus an hour earlier to sharpen her skills with her bow & arrow like she did in her own time in Scotland.

Once again, Elinor had to remind her about 'weapons on the table' when Merida left her bow there.

Frowning, the redhead placed it on her chair.

It never ceases to incite chuckles from everyone, including Hal, Daphne, Royce & Tamika.

"Is your daughter _always _like that, Elinor?", Tamika asked.

"During every meal, Tamika", Elinor says, rolling her eyes.

The Navajo female couldn't help but to laugh more, with Elinor & Daphne joining in.

"Hey Hal, have you gotten any word yet from those you sent out last night?", asked Maui.

The ranch owner was a little shocked to see they knew about it but kept his composure.

"Oh, you _know _about that, huh?", Hal asked as they nodded.

"We didn't really mean to _pry_, it's just that, well…", Anna tried to say as Hal chuckled.

"No worries, Anna", Hal says. "The truth is, kids, since May & most of this month, cattle have been mysteriously disappearing from not only _our _ranch, but from others. What's more, each ranch that held all of that beef were trampled – razed into the ground, as if a tornado had struck it."

"I take it you never _had _any tornadoes hit this area recently?", asked Elsa.

Hal shook his head.

"Not in quite a while, Elsa."

"What about any survivors from these ranches that got hit?", asked Rapunzel.

"We've never found any. In each place that got hit, nobody living there was ever recovered, with no traces – not even specs of blood anywhere, & I mean _anywhere_."

"Like they just disappeared into thin air?", Eugene wondered.

"Something like that. We've been doing these nightly drills since cattle started vanishing, even _more _so since the ranches were getting destroyed by some force out there."

"When _did _these attacks on ranches begin to occur anyway?", asked Elinor.

"About a day or so after a slight earthquake hit us at the beginning of this month. Thankfully, no one was hurt or swallowed up, but it ceased just as suddenly as it began. We sent a team of 24 men over to investigate it, but we haven't heard from or seen them since."

This was a puzzle to Elinor & the group: a string of cattle disappearances over the weeks, followed afterwards by an earthquake & the destruction of nearby ranches like the one they were at made for a mystery for Sherlock Holmes. Never did they guess that these events would occur in the very area they were making their yearly get-together at.

Neither Moana nor anyone in their party liked it one bit.

Just then, Bill Sidewinder came in, surprising everyone.

"Hal…they're back!", he said.

The ranch owner, his wife & everyone else rose from their seats & headed outside to meet the same group of men Hal sent out last night.

"Welcome back, Judd", Hal says. "Any new developments?"

"None, I'm afraid", Judd said, dismounting his horse with his men. "We'd searched for hours until about 2 in the morning, but found nothing that can help us determine how or what caused those other ranches to be attacked & razed like Zeus struck it with his lightning bolts. And before you ask, we found no lost cattle or any human survivors."

"Just like all the other times", Daphne said as Judd & his party nodded.

"It's the _curse!_", said a male voice as they all turned to see a Navajo with fuzzy black hair that looked like he had a mop on his head, half concealed by a hat as he walked towards the group.

He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"It's the _curse _of this whole area, I tell you!", he repeated.

"Aw, not _this _again, Ned!", Hal said. "I've _told _you: there ain't no curse in these parts, & I don't want you giving any of our guests here trouble while they…"

"No, it's quite okay, Hal", Merida said as she & her party have Ned's full attention. "Tell us, Ned: what _is _this 'curse' you're referring to?"

"The curse of _Sauron!_", Ned explains. "He's returned to wreak havoc upon these parts once again, feeding upon our cattle to satisfy his unending ravenous appetite & to settle the score on those that put him under from long ago! It's _he _who's behind all these attacks, & we need to _flee _before he gets to _us _next!"

"That's enough, Ned!", Hal says, interrupting his ranting & gently luring him away from everybody. "Now look: you're a good man, but I don't want you spouting nonsense about curses or _any _kind of mystic mumbo-jumbo like we were _sorcerers _or something."

"But _Sauron_…"

"Sure, sure. You just need a little breakfast to settle your nerves. Come on."

Most of Hal's people joined him as Daphne gave an apologetic look to the group before joining her hubby.

Only Tamika & Elinor's party were left.

"Sauron? Never _heard _of him", said Anna.

"Neither have _we_, Anna", Moana said. "And Maui & myself have learned about a _lot _of ancient legends growing up. This 'Sauron' Ned mentioned is _new _to us."

"Not to _me_, Moana", Tamika said, surprising everyone.

"Tamika…_you _also know about Sauron?", Maui asks.

"Me & another, which I'll take you all to meet later in the day. For now, Hal told us last night he & the boys had wanted to teach you all how to wrangle runaways if they ever make a break for it. I know you're anxious to know more about Sauron, but let's do this for him first."

Eager as they _are _to learn about Sauron, the group didn't want to think they weren't enjoying the hospitality Hal & his people were giving them.

"Sure thing, Tamika", Kristoff said, taking out his cell phone. "You go ahead. We'll be with you very shortly."

The outdoorsman began typing on his phone as Tamika departed.

"What are you doing, Kristoff?", asked Eugene.

"Just sending Tajima a quick text, that's all", Kristoff replied. "Maybe _he _could get us some info on Sauron, thus saving Tamika the trouble."

Finishing his text, Kristoff sent it & pocketed his cell.

"Done", he said. "Now all we have to do is wait until he texts me back."

"In the meantime, let's grant Hal & his friends their request", Rapunzel says. "I always _did _want to know about capturing strays that run off in the old west!"

"First, maybe we should ask Hal & Daphne for our _own _cowboy outfits to _look _more the part", Maui suggests.

Smiling, they went to do just that.

_The Sugimoto residence, Tokyo, Japan:_

With Kristoff & the group beginning their day, Tajima & his family were nearly at the end of theirs in Japan.

For the last two hours, Olaf was practicing on how to wield a samurai sword to master its skill. Using one made out of wood with no sharp edges that he could wield perfectly, Olaf practiced in the backyard as Hiroshi Jinkawa & his young nephew Rokuro 'Roku-chan' Ibuki (who were invited over) created paper targets based on ninja warriors (using Akemi & Emiko's help) before placing them on pop-up devices the tech genius built up. With the push of a button, the paper targets would appear at various places in the backyard for Olaf to stab or slice at with his wooden sword. Acting his best samurai impersonation, Olaf brought down each one that Akemi, Emiko & even Rokuro made pop up as the adults watched gleefully as the snowman took down target after target using his weapon, his stick hands, even a flying kick maneuver in a 'Matrix' fashion.

Rokuro put up a target 16 feet from Olaf's position, & the snowman raised his arms before letting out a samurai howl & throwing it directly at the target. It was a successful maneuver: Olaf hit the target dead-on as his sword went right through the paper ninja.

The only _problem _with that is…his stick arms went _with _his sword, as they detached from his shoulders & still held onto the sword's handle.

Everyone watched in amusement as Olaf turned to the adults in an actual calm face.

"I _meant _to do that", he said, equally calm.

Humorous chuckles erupted as everyone came out of their hiding places & came around Olaf.

The snowman's arms let go of the sword & crept back to reattach themselves to his shoulders.

Olaf placed his hands behind his back & smiled.

A buzzing from Tajima's cell phone caught the scientist's attention as he digs it out.

He checks & reads it thoroughly, his expression anything but cheery.

"What is it, Tajima?", Hiroshi asked in his tongue.

"A text message from Kristoff", he replied.

Hearing Kristoff's name, Olaf's curiosity kicked in.

"What's Kristoff saying, Tajima?", the snowman asked.

"Just something he wants me to look up, is all", the scientist says with a smile. "I'll do it tomorrow, as it _is _late."

"See you in the morning, Olaf", Hidemi says. "Keep on practicing with that wooden sword, & pretty soon…you'll be ready for the real thing."

Everyone wished Olaf good night as they all went inside for bed.

Olaf acknowledged them briefly, for he was more excited about Hidemi's proposal.

"Wow! Me…an _actual samurai!_", he says with a huge smile.

In his mind, he envisioned himself as just that, complete with Japanese-styled eyes as he took on several real-life opponents with his fighting techniques, ranging from flying kicks, slapping them with his stick hands when they were detached from his body, & even knocking out an enemy from behind with his frozen butt that hit him in the face while _he _stood perfectly still.

He also imagined a voice-over as it announced in Japanese while fending off the bad guys:

'_As cold as the North Pole, as hard in combat as a glacier, as swift & ferocious as a blizzard in battle, he'll freeze you in your tracks with a single strike!_'

Olaf them envisions his imaginary name in Japanese kanji/katakana letters before the announcer resumes.

'_Samurai Olaf: he may have a warm heart, but never cross him or he'll knock you cold!_"

To top it all off, Olaf imagined himself speaking in flawless Japanese.

'_I'm Olaf…and I like WARM hugs!_'

He would then take a bow in pure samurai style.

These images in his head urged him to continue his training to be the best samurai he can be.

But for now, he'll turn in like his family & friends have done.

Even snowmen – samurai or not – need to sleep.

_The Robbins Butte Game Preserve:_

Throughout the day at the ranch, Hal & his cowboys gave demonstrations to Elinor & company on how to catch a runaway horse or any animal that manages to escape the compounds of the ranch & make a break for it. Hal of course went first & successfully roped a young equestrian with swift maneuvers that could hardly be followed. Explaining on how he performed his functions, he gave Eugene & the rest a go at it, with the former Flynn Rider going first.

Like he did during his crime-spree days in Corona, Eugene took care of the little runaway calf as Maximus rode up to it before Eugene looped & tied it with his rope.

Both Andalusian & singer gave a fist-hoof bump on a task well-done.

Kristoff & Sven were next: the outdoorsman & his reindeer ran down a young horse as Sven got in front of the animal & stared it down before Kristoff lassoed it around the neck & lead it back to the pen.

The unbreakable pair shared a snuggle of success.

Merida was no slouch either: riding upon Angus, she fired an arrow that was attached to her rope & boomeranged itself right back at her target – a young cattle that moved quick despite its size. Pulling on her line, Merida wrapped up the animal for Hal's friends to haul away.

Merida patted Angus' mane on a job well-done, with the Clydesdale neighing softly.

Maui did quite well too: riding a horse lent to him, he rode it up to a feisty young horse & actually tackled it to the ground before tying it with his offered rope. Checking to see if the animal was hurt, Maui was pleased to see it was okay, just dirty from the dust caused by the collision.

Applause greeted the young demigod.

When Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel & Moana came up to try, _their _performances were…less than spectacular, to say the least: a series of tripping, missing their marks with the rope, & landing on the ground without getting their prize. Anna & Rapunzel even once landed in an area that was fresh mud, getting themselves & outfits dirty.

Because of her present company, Elsa couldn't use her ice power to help capture the animals.

For a Mechagodzilla crew member, she stunk at being a cowgirl, & she wasn't alone: Hal, Daphne & all the rest began laughing at their comedic antics. Even Elinor, Merida, Tamika, Royce, Pascal, the guys & three steeds joined in, unable to help themselves.

Luckily, the girls were good sports, & they even learned to laugh at & enjoy themselves despite their failures.

Having enough of chasing after/tying up innocent animals, the group decided to get cleaned up & changed.

_The National Museum of Nature & Science, Taito-ku district of Tokyo, Thursday, June 22__nd__, 10:00 a.m.:_

Getting a good nine hours sleep, Tajima & his family/friends woke up to a nice quick breakfast of ready-made pancakes that took only minutes to prepare, complete with fruits on the side & juices to wash it all down. Before they ate, Tajima sent a text to Professor Mizaki over at the National Museum of Nature & Science, concerning the text that he got from Kristoff last night before bed. Tajima asked his fellow scientist to dig up whatever information about it as he could, & that he'd be right over once they had breakfast.

They were finished & out the door by 8:40, with Olaf waving them goodbye.

Once they reached their destination over an hour later, Mizaki greeted them at the entrance & welcomed them inside. The museum's dean took the group over to his office where he had a folder already placed on his desk which he opens up & began displaying painted photos of something they never expected to see from Tajima's request.

Each of these photos were that of a Tyrannosaurus!

But it was one with a most unusual color pattern: _this _tyrannosaur had a deep yellow hue to its flesh, with purple markings that were outlined with orange.

Since Olaf wasn't present, the group was free to speak in their mother tongue.

"To compare him to a regular Tyrannosaurus, Sauron is approximately 60 meters tall, according to these notes", Tajima said, picking up & examining the photos along with everyone else.

"And this is everything you could discover on Sauron from your search, Mizaki?", Hidemi asked.

"Yes, Hidemi: everything I was able to conjure up on Sauron from the internet, you now see before you", Mizaki replied.

"Sauron has a height of 60 meters?", Emiko says. "That can't be natural: a regular Tyrannosaurus would measure up to about 40 feet long & about 13 or so feet high. For Sauron to produce such a height & size like this…"

"He'd either have to be created by advance sciences like what Fumio & Kubota did with Diablo, who was _also _a Tyrannosaurus, or even by means of, dare I say…", Akemi started saying.

"Magic!", Rokuro finished for her. "It could be that Sauron reached such an unnatural height by magical means! Do _you_ suppose that could be it, uncle?"

Hiroshi & even Mizaki gave the matter thought, when it hit them & they nodded to each other.\

"Of course, Rokuro!", Hiroshi said. "Even though Mizaki & I _are_ men of science, we're still not above believing in things with a mystical origin. It's one of the reasons as to _why_ we're able to accept Elsa's ice & snow power, or even Rapunzel's magic healing hair. And now that Sauron has been brought up to us…"

"True, Hiroshi", Mizaki said, sitting in his seat as the others do the same on the couch & extra chairs. "During my days in college, I managed to learn about an ancient legend…one that dates back to the times of American Indians when they were at war with other tribes. It took place shortly after the various raids by the Navajo against the Mexican Armies during the 1800s…"

Mizaki gave the story in full detail.

_Somewhere in Arizona, 6:00 p.m.:_

When 5:00 came around, Tamika gathered Elinor & her party to go visit the one that knew about Sauron as she got on her steed as Maximus, Sven & Angus carried their riders – two per person. Elsa joined the Navajo, with Moana & Maui sharing another equestrian. Royce saw them gearing up for a ride, but went inside before even Tamika could ask to join them: he knew _exactly _where they were going & wanted no part of it.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Tamika lead the way to their destination.

They reached it in an hour's time: a secluded area surrounded by trees on a rocky terrain, sporting some cacti as well. At the edge of one rock outcropping was a cave large enough for a man to enter without hitting his head. A man _is _currently present as he literally sits Indian-style next to a small fire blazing in a wooden circle. He was dressed in a cloth & hat of feathers that was definitely Navajo in origin, & the group suspect that he _is _Navajo like Tamika & Royce are.

Upon seeing Tamika & her friends, the man – an old man – smiled & welcomed them to his sanctuary.

Tamika gave introductions to each before she did the same, explaining that the old Indian is a medicine man.

A shaman.

Moana & her friends were impressed, as was Pascal & the animals.

Elinor asked about Sauron, & the shaman asked them to gather round & sit Indian-style as he is.

As professor Mizaki explains the story in Tokyo at present, the shaman does so himself, as it is still Wednesday, June 21st in America.

Taking in a deep breath & exhaling it, he begins.

"It happened in 1849, one year after the Mexican-American War ended. The New Mexicans of that period have invaded the Navajo repeatedly since 1823, killing many of our people & taking some as slaves. At one point, they chose to invade with an even _greater _force, more powerful than any previous ones they've sent over. Only _this _time around, it was an invasion that not only had its best warriors, but also vicious creatures what we now know today as the dinosaur species Velociraptor, which _you _are most familiar with in the 'Jurassic Park' films. But these were not _ordinary _Raptors: these creatures were conjured up by users of the dark arts, who sold their very souls to have them serve their tribes. In each of these animals, they sported flesh with a deep orange, white underside & black stripes, while also having a large plume of feathers in the rear of their heads. They stood about 6 feet tall, but there was one that stood to a height of 10 feet, being larger & more vicious than the rest. The New Mexicans called this creature 'Talon'."

"How large _was _Talon's number in his army the New Mexicans used to invade your people with?", asked Moana.

"Excluding Talon himself, it was at a number of only 50. But it was more than enough: having their army of men & monsters, the New Mexicans attacked our people, sentencing many to death as they proved to be no match for Talon & his brethren, despite how valiantly we fought. Hundreds died by their claws & teeth in just a matter of hours."

"Is this the part where Sauron came into play?", Maui asked.

"Correct. Seeing the futility of trying to defeat Talon & the New Mexicans in their current state, the Navajo had desperately went to & begged the elders to lend their assistance. Realizing that Talon & his brethren were conjured up by mystical forces, the Navajo elders decided to do the same in return: using their power, they summoned the dinosaur Sauron – a Tyrannosaurus with deep yellow flesh & purple markings with orange outlines. He stood at a height of 20 feet, twice the size of Talon. Acting on natural instinct, Sauron attacked the invading New Mexicans & several of the creatures in Talon's herd. Outraged by seeing his children slaughtered, Talon fought Sauron in a vicious battle while we Navajos took on the New Mexicans & what remained of Talon's herd. It took over half a day, but the tide turned as New Mexicans fell by our hands faster than we did by theirs. The fight between Sauron & Talon was equally fierce: the two prehistoric combatants battled one another with relentlessness & animalistic primal rage the likes of which man never bore witness to. Despite being half his size, Talon was a savage opponent, using his claws & teeth to their fullest potential & causing various wounds to his enemy. But as with Talon, Sauron was no _ordinary _dinosaur: with quick precision from an intelligence more advanced than that of his Mesozoic ancestors, the Tyrannosaur outwitted Talon & snatched the beast's neck in his jaws. With a vice-like grip, Sauron snapped Talon's neck with a noise that was heard all across the battlefield before dropping his lifeless corpse to the ground. Standing over his fallen foe, Sauron roared a victory bellow that signaled the end of the invasion. Even the New Mexicans knew it: those that surrendered were free to return to their homes but were warned if they should ever come back with invasion in mind, they will regret & pay for it with their lives."

"But the Navajos' troubles didn't _end _with their victory over the New Mexicans…did it?", Elinor asked.

"You are very perceptive. Indeed, they did not: after the survivors headed home, the Navajos fed Sauron all the bodies of the deceased New Mexicans, Talon & his brethren. The Tyrannosaurus fed on each carcass ravenously with a hunger deeper than anything we've ever witnessed in any animal. For just over a month, Sauron ate the flesh of our defeated enemies, & in that time, he did something we _never_ foresaw: every day Sauron was getting bigger & bigger, & soon he towered from a height of 6 meters to 60. Once he finished feasting upon Talon & his kin, he turned towards our livestock & consumed nearly half of it, putting many of our people into a state of starvation with more than dozens of them dying. The elders that conjured Sauron knew he had to be stopped before our entire colony ended up the same way: with what power they could muster, they've called upon the spirits to help them vanquish Sauron, with some extra help from above. Sauron was soon overwhelmed & retreated, but we followed the beast & located him a week later to a secluded spot & finish the job as the earth opened up & swallowed the Tyrannosaur before closing up, never to be seen again. But like the battle against the New Mexicans, it was a costly victory: the elders all but exhausted their power in ridding us of Sauron, & thus died shortly after. We buried their bodies near Sauron's own resting place, praying their souls would keep him confined there."

Things were quiet when the elder Navajo finished as the group took some time to absorb everything they learned on this night.

"So, in short, Sauron _became _the very problem he was summoned to _stop_", said Kristoff.

"Something like that, yes", said the shaman.

"I've never _heard _of anything like this _anywhere!_", Maui said. "How come nobody's known much about this?"

"It's because it was mostly kept to the Navajo, as we've all took an oath never to speak of the incident to anyone, including the white man even after we made a pact with them. To this day, only certain individuals know the truth of that period in our history."

"Well, _I'm _rather glad to hear that Sauron is safely buried within the earth in _this _day & age", Rapunzel says. "We've got more than _enough _trouble with Godzilla & company as it is."

"Amen, Rapunzel", said Anna. "If Sauron _was _roaming around these parts today…"

"I fear that already _is _the case, Anna", the shaman said. "At the beginning of this month, there'd been a very brief earthquake which occurred at the very spot in where the elders buried Sauron at. Have any of you been hearing about any cattle disappearances, or even ranches getting destroyed near these parts?"

The realization hit them, & chills ran down their spines.

"Didn't _Hal _mention something about those very same factors?", Merida asked, turning to Elsa. "Not to mention those 24 men he sent out to investigate that same earthquake but who never returned?"

"I remember it well, Merida", Elsa said, rising up. "Folks, we better get back to the ranch & warn Hal & Daphne. A big danger may be coming their way, & they might not even know it."

Everyone else nodded & rose to their feet.

"Thanks for the story & the info, shaman", Eugene said. "Now we all know what we're dealing with."

"You are most welcome, Eugene. May the spirits guide & protect all of you", the shaman says.

Nodding, Eugene & the rest went over to Maximus, Sven & Angus for the ride back.

But they didn't leave just yet, for Tamika still consulted with the shaman.

"Something troubling you still, Tamika?", the shaman asked.

"That's _one _way of putting it", she says. "I want to tell Royce about this, but he's _already _heard this story before, & I doubt he'd listen to it again. What _is _troubling me, however, is whether or not he'll _accept _this, let alone the role he has yet to play – if he ever _will_."

"In time, Royce _will_ discover he cannot escape what's been handed down to him, no matter how vehemently he tries to avoid it. Please don't give up on him, Tamika – that young man needs your guidance, as well as your love."

"I'll…I'll try", Tamika concludes before she nodded her thanks to the shaman & got on her own steed.

Without another word, they raced back to the ranch.

_Robbins Butte Game Preserve, 7:15 p.m.:_

Once the group got back to the ranch, the crowd welcomed their return as Maximus, Sven, Angus & all the other steeds were being fed their evening meals. Elsa & Tamika looked around to find Hal & Daphne, & asked if they could speak to them both in private.

Wondering what they meant, the husband-&-wife duo nodded & went inside their home.

From there, Elsa & Tamika told the pair the story as the shaman did so with them.

As they finished, Hal was filled with skepticism & doubt.

"Dinosaurs conjured up by _magic_, of all things?", he says with a face of disbelief & uncertainty. "Forgive me for finding _any _of this hard to swallow, ladies, but _I _don't believe in this mystic stuff anymore than _Royce _does. This _is _the 21st Century, after all."

"It doesn't make it any less _true_, Hal", Tamika said. "The earthquake that occurred this month is the _exact spot _in which the elders of that period _vanquished _Sauron. And how do you account for the disappearance of those 24 men you sent to investigate it…each of whom never returned?"

"And the destruction of several ranches _since _the quake, with no survivors from _any _of them?", Elsa adds. "These are _not _coincidences, Hal: Sauron _is _on the loose somewhere, & this ranch needs to be _ready _for him."

"Hal, honey, maybe we _should _take their words into consideration", Daphne says.

"You actually _believe _in what the girls here are saying?", Hal asked her.

"Even if I don't, it's still better to be prepared than caught off-guard. Like the old saying goes, 'It's better to have your guns & not _need _them, than to need your guns & not _have _them'."

Hal gave it thought: despite his own personal feelings on the matter, he can tell that the girls are rather serious on their accusations. What's more, they didn't waver in their speech, as it was as steely as could be.

He also couldn't deny that his own wife made perfect sense.

"I'll tell you what", Hal says. "Judd & his group are already out on their nightly patrol, scouting the area. If they hear of or see anything they shouldn't, I've instructed them to give me a buzz on their cells. But let's all go through the night on a normal basis: your story of Sauron & everything would give everybody here huge cause for concern, & the _last _thing we want to do is cause panic among the ranch. Is that good enough?"

Not wanting to push the matter further, Elsa & Tamika nodded.

"Of course", said the latter. "I know it's asking for a lot, so…thank you, Hal."

"How exactly do you _want _for us to get through the evening regularly, Hal?", Elsa asked.

"From what Tamika & Royce told me, you & your friends are _very_ adept at singing, so why not perform songs on this night?", Hal suggests. "And just in case we _do _have trouble run into us at any moment, our cowboys, my wife & I can act & deal with it at the drop of a hat. Besides…_we're _eager to hear how good you kids are. What do you say?"

Elsa could see that Hal was serious about jumping into action on a dime, & could relate to it: she & Merida were also both trained to do so themselves, & they both got very good at it.

Plus, the idea of singing to Hal, Daphne & their friends sounded very inviting, so she agreed.

"All right, Hal…we _do _owe you _that_ much", Elsa replied. "I'll consult with my friends about it. I'm pretty sure _they'll_ agree to it as I have."

"Excellent, Elsa", Hal said. "Consult with your friends, then we'll first enjoy a nice dinner before showtime."

Hal & his wife tipped their hats to the ladies before heading off to ready dinner for all.

Tamika & Elsa went over to their friends & got them in a private gathering, where they explained Hal's proposal to everyone. Each of them were worried that Hal wouldn't go through with it due to his reluctance to believe that long ago, dinosaurs were conjured by mystic forces to do battle & save the Navajo before almost getting devoured themselves by the very creature they summoned to be their savior.

Luckily, Daphne persuaded him to be on high alert for anything from this point on even as they enjoy dinner & do some singing afterwards. It also gave Kristoff to answer the text Tajima sent him as the outdoorsman replied that he received the info, same as him, & thanked him very much for his attempt.

His text ended with Kristoff saying that they'll be very cautious from this moment on.

With tummies rumbling, they headed off to enjoy the evening meal.

Outside of Hal & Daphne's home, a pot of chili was steaming as its fresh/rich aroma stung the nostrils of everyone in the vicinity. Elinor & company inhaled its flavor, putting a big smile on their faces.

"Smells _scrumptious_, Hal!", Eugene says. "How long did it take you to cook?"

"Quite a while, Eugene", Hal explains. "For one's chili to have such a distinct taste, it needs to sit simmering in a pot for a few hours, & you only put in the freshest & best ingredients to give it that zing. Learning how to make chili _this _good is something my own daddy taught me when I was a boy."

As Hal spoke, Pascal got onto the table next to the chili pot & got a better look at it, the aroma most satisfying.

"But I should _warn _you folks: this chili I'm about to serve is…", Hal began to say.

Like a frog snatching a fly in mid-flight, Pascal shot out his tongue & caught a piece of Hal's chili before bringing it back. Almost immediately the little chameleon felt the burning sensation throughout his body, & he turned red as a lobster before running around the table like a chicken with its head severed, breathing a mini flame from his mouth as he imitates Godzilla.

Desperate to find a source of liquid to put his inner fire out, Pascal made a leap & dove head-first into Hal's cup of apple cider, causing a splash.

Moana, Maui & the rest watched the scene unfold with surprised looks on their faces.

"Pretty hot", Hal finished as Pascal emerged on the rim of his cup & exhaled a cloud of smoke, indicating the fire within him is extinguished. The little lizard smiled at Hal before getting back on the table again.

His drink having lizard mixed in, Hal spilled the rest of it to the ground.

Anna picked up Pascal in the cup of her two hands.

"Well, Hal _did _try to warn us, little buddy", she says with a sheepish grin before placing him onto Rapunzel's left shoulder. His master & friend patted him on the head, saying it was okay.

"I've made a much _milder _version of my husband's chili over there", Daphne says, pointing to a second pot that was simmering just ten feet away.

Elinor & company each grabbed a bowl & handed them out to Daphne.

"One bowl, please!", they all said with sheepish grins.

Grinning, Daphne served each one her mild chili.

_A few minutes before eleven:_

As promised, the chili Elinor & her group ate was nowhere _near _as hot as Hal's, & they all even enjoyed a second serving of it, with apple cider to wash it down. Even as everyone feasted on chili, Moana & company were all singing songs for their cowboy/cowgirl audience, staying mostly in a country field by performing songs from that very genre of music by artists such as Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Johnny Paycheck, Crystal Gayle & others.

Moana, Merida, Rapunzel, Anna & Elsa went first, giving beautiful performances each, some done as duets.

Eugene, Kristoff & Maui were no different: they went further back & did songs recorded by legendary artists like Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry, Johnny Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, & Hank Williams – the _first _Hank Williams, which both Kristoff & Eugene did several songs together on.

Since Hal & Daphne didn't have a karaoke machine, the music was done by actual instruments by several of the boys as they play guitar, drums & whatever else was required. Eugene & Kristoff did the guitar work themselves, with Hal's boys doing backup vocals/instruments, just like they're about to do with their final number for the evening: a tune Hank Williams did in 1947, becoming a perennial favorite.

As an added bonus, everyone got on board & did hand clapping to the song, with Hal, Royce & others backing both men up.

It started with a nice rocking hillbilly/country sound:

Came in last night at half-past ten

That baby of mine wouldn't let me in

So move it on over (move it on over)

Move it on over (move it on over)

Move over little dog, 'cause the big dog's moving in

She's changed the lock on our front door

My poor key don't fit no more

So get it on over (move it on over)

Scoot it on over (move it on over)

Move over skinny dog, 'cause the fat dog's moving in

This dog house here is mighty small

But it's better than no house at all

So ease it on over (move it on over)

Drag it on over (move it on over)

Move over old dog, 'cause a new dog's moving in

(A guitar interlude occurs as guys & girls alike clap & groove to the music before vocals resume)

She told me not to play around

But I done let the deal go down

So pack it on over (move it on over)

Tote it on over (move it on over)

Move over nice dog, 'cause a mad dog's moving in

She warned me once, she warned me twice

But I don't take no one's advice

So scratch it on over (move it on over)

Shake it on over (move it on over)

Move over short dog, 'cause the tall dog's moving in

(A second guitar interlude erupts before the final two verses of the song get completed)

She'll crawl back to me on her knees

I'll be busy scratching fleas

So slide it on over (move it on over)

Sneak it on over (move it on over)

Move over good dog, 'cause a mad dog's moving in

Remember pup, before you whine

That side's yours & this side's mine

So shove it on over (move it on over)

Sweep it on over (move it on over)

Move over cold dog, 'cause a hot dog's moving in

Everyone cheered & clapped further in congratulating Kristoff, Eugene & their group for providing them with an excellent show on this night; even with the threat of Sauron looming over them, Merida & the rest felt good singing for Hal, Daphne & their friends, which showed by the applause they gave in return.

Thanking them for their appreciation, the group went to turn in as everyone else did the same.

_Elsewhere in Arizona:_

He slept for several days since his last feeding.

But no more: the hunger in his stomach hit him hard, & he could no longer ignore it.

Nor did he _want _to.

Opening his eyes in a heartbeat, he rose from the ground on which he rested up to his full 60-meter height.

The hunger urged him to get fresh meat in his jaws.

Soon he will _have _that meat.

_Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean:_

Like a fighter jet on all afterburners, she flew through the skies over Earth's largest body of water, her gigantic body obscured by the clouds in which she took cover in. Her colorful wings flap graciously with a speed that would be deemed impossible for anything her size, yet she moves with elegance as she nears her destination.

It would be only a matter of hours until she reaches it.

She puts on an extra burst of speed.

**CHAPTER VI**

_The Arizona plains, Thursday, June 22__nd__, 1:00 a.m.:_

Judd & his party of four were on another search run, but this trip was less enthusiastic than the others. Two of the men argued that it has been almost two weeks since Hal's previous party went out to investigate the earthquake which briefly rocked the Arizona plains, with no sight of anyone from said gathering. The third man argued that if any of them _are_ still alive, they would have at least called days ago.

But nobody heard a peep from them since, & even Judd knew it.

It still didn't mean he'd give up: he argued the point that if it was any of _them _lost out in the Arizona plains, they would want to be found & rescued.

None of the men argued the matter any further, & they continued in their duties.

Sam was the first to stand watch, while the rest grabbed some shut-eye in their sleeping bags.

For an hour since his shift began, Sam heard/saw nothing out of the ordinary.

That changed when he heard rustling in nearby trees, putting his senses on high alert as he readied his 12-gauge shotgun. Not wanting to wake his comrades, Sam aimed his weapon over at the grove of trees as they still rustled like a breeze was blowing through them, or…

_Maybe it's the lost cattle we've been searching for!_, Sam thought.

If it _is _what Sam believes it to be, he wanted to get confirmation first before rousing Judd & the rest from their slumber. While holding his flashlight in his spare hand, Sam shined it on the trees to see any sign of life within.

He catches the sight of _something _moving amid the brush, & he hurried his footsteps but did so stealthily to avoid waking his friends. As he gets closer, he caught another quick glimpse of movement that vanished as suddenly as Sam's light struck. Believing it was one of the lost cattle, Sam doused his light so as not to frighten the animal again, for fear of losing it now that he was on its trail.

Sam picked up the pace as he entered the brush.

Not seeing anything once he was in the thick of it, he went in deeper, disappearing from sight in moments.

For a minute-&-a-half, Sam couldn't find a thing & wondered where it could've ran off to in such a short time.

Then Sam found it…or rather, _it _found _him!_

Even from a distance, the sound of Sam's shotgun woke Judd & the other two men from their slumber.

The blasts from Sam's weapon was abruptly cut off & replaced by him screaming in terror before that ended as soon as it began.

"_Sam?!_", Judd cried out as he & his cohorts emerged from their bags.

When he heard no answer, Judd shouted again, louder this time.

Nearly half a minute went by in complete silence.

"Come on, Sam, this isn't funny!", one man cried out.

"Sam isn't a humorous man, Bill…not when he's on the job!", said the other man. "You know that!"

"James is right!", Judd says, grabbing his high-powered rifle. "Something's happened to Sam! Get your guns!"

James & Bill comply, taking their rifle & shotgun & checking to make sure they were still loaded.

Judd gave a hand signal to follow him as they head over to the tree grove where they heard Sam's blood-curdling scream. As they got closer to the grove, they couldn't see anything but could hear rustling within.

"Sam? Sam, are you in there?", Bill called to him.

"I don't _like _this, Judd!", James says.

"Neither do I!", Judd said, digging into his pocket. "Get your flashlights, boys, & shine them into that grove! If anything other than Sam comes out of there, you both know what to do!"

Both men nodded & did as Judd instructed: their lights shone within the grove & could see them rustling but _not _what made them. Cocking their weapons to fire in an instant, they all slowly stepped closer until they were only 10 feet away. Hearing/seeing rustling again, the men aim their weapons towards the source of the sound, where it ceased in an instant once their lights hit.

"Sam?", Judd called out.

Over a minute passed with no sounds, let alone any sign of Sam.

Lowering their weapons, the men face each other with perplexing faces.

Acting like a cougar on the prowl, a gigantic beast rose from its hiding place, dwarfing Judd & the boys.

For what felt like an eternity, everything seemed to stand still as Judd & his men stared at the monstrosity looming over them, unable to speak, much less move.

Finally, James breaks the eerie silence with a high-pitched scream mixed in with the raising & firing of his rifle.

It had the desired effect as Bill & Judd did the same, unloading their weapons' ammo to stop the creature.

Unfortunately, they _didn't _have the desired effect of stopping it as the beast ignored the bullets/buckshot hitting its flesh. Rearing its head back, it unleashed a boisterous roar before lunging forward at the trio of cowboys, each one still screaming in total fear.

The last thing they each saw was a gigantic maw of sharp teeth that turned into darkness, their screams all cut off like Sam's were.

_Robbins Butte Game Preserve, 3:30 a.m.:_

Everyone at the ranch was fast asleep & resting peacefully, from Hal & Daphne to Elinor Fleming & her group. Even the animals were hushed & snoozing away, getting a well-earned rest after a hard day's labor. Maximus, Sven & Angus were no different: they slept comfortably in Hal's stable with the other equestrians, enjoying the extra company.

Kristoff Sugimoto was _also _a part of that 'extra company': he told everyone he'd prefer sleeping in the stable on this night as he used to do back home in Norway. It was a custom he wanted to bring back since he doesn't get to do all that often, even at home in Japan.

Hal & Daphne had no objections to it, especially since a few of his own friends enjoy the same trait now & then.

With his cowboy hat over his eyes, Kristoff dozed & rested comfortably on a stack of hay.

It was a peaceful night to rest in, with the stars twinkling high in the clear skies.

All of that was about to change: a strange & unfamiliar scent hit the nostrils of the dogs in their pen, stirring them awake as they take in another whiff of what roused them from their slumber. These dogs began to give out a low growl before getting up & letting loose a cacophony of fierce barks that were loud enough to stir the whole ranch. In the stable was no different: what the dogs picked up by smell was what the equestrians also caught. Stirring themselves awake, each one – Angus included – rose on their hooves & started neighing in a chorus that stirred Kristoff, Maximus & Sven awake as they got up, wondering what was wrong.

"Angus? Angus, what is it?", Kristoff asked, trying to calm the Clydesdale down.

Like the other horses, Angus kept on neighing & banged his stable as Maximus & Sven looked on.

_If only they _could _speak to us for real!_, Kristoff thought, wishing the animals could form words like he does.

The wailing of horses neighing & dogs barking didn't go unnoticed by Hal, Daphne & everyone else on the ranch: rising from bed by the noise, they all wondered what the situation could be.

"They certainly are _noisy _this evening, Hal", Daphne says, getting up from bed & dressed. "Wonder what's _got _them all spooked."

"I don't know, hon", Hal says, doing the same. "But whatever it is, we'd better look into it: those mutts wouldn't bark like this for no reason, & those horses wouldn't act up a storm unless _they_ sensed something was wrong."

That same feeling hit most everyone else, including Elsa, Merida & Elinor.

Quick as they could, Elinor dressed in her cowgirl outfit, with Elsa doing the same in her Mechagodzilla uniform & Merida in her Russian Spetsnaz outfit.

"Back home in Scotland, when Fergus' dogs barked that fiercely, it usually meant that _danger _was close", Elinor says.

"I remember, Mum", Merida says. "I always used to get my bow & arrows ready in case we got invaded by rival forces who wished to attack & overthrow us."

"That's why we brought along our 'working clothes', Merida", Elsa says. "Even on times of relaxation, we must _always _be prepared in case something should come up unexpectedly…"

Elsa was interrupted by the sound of thunderous booms that slightly shook the ground, causing even the animals to remain quiet as they sounded a few more seconds before it gets replaced by the sound of a blaring noise which was like that of an animal nobody's ever heard of. Every living soul on the ranch rushed to the nearest window to go take a look at what made it.

All eyes widened as they saw a nightmare on the outskirts of the property: it was a deep-yellowed-flesh _dinosaur _– a Tyrannosaurus – with purple patches & orange outlines. Like the T-Rex from the 'Jurassic Park' movies, it sported three-toed feet that ended in claws, two-fingered hands on its forearms, & a mouth full of sharp teeth. But _unlike _the JP T-Rex, its forearms were slightly longer, & it stood more upright – something like Godzilla, but not quite.

Plus, _this _Tyrannosaurus was _sixty meters tall!_

Immediately it was recognized by those that knew it.

"Sauron!", Tamika said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

Seeing the dinosaur in the flesh, Hal couldn't deny it any longer.

"He really exists!", he says. "I guess Ned _wasn't _off his rocker after all!"

"And Elsa & Tamika's story – it was all _true!_", Daphne adds. "Every _piece_ of it!"

Even Royce couldn't hold off on believing it.

_All the times I neglected to listen to the shaman's stories about Sauron…he was correct all along!_, Royce thought. _I owe that man an apology at a later time…if there _is _a later time!_

Anna, Rapunzel, Moana, Kristoff, Eugene & Maui were also awestruck at the sight of Sauron, his appearance in all its horrific glory. It was like history was about to repeat itself as Sauron bellowed a deafening roar, further startling all the animals in the ranch.

Worse still, Sauron went into the ranch & started destroying whatever was in his way.

He headed directly for the cattle, who were already running away from the prehistoric threat.

Several houses were demolished instantly as people scrambled to escape Sauron's footfalls, with a few unlucky few getting debris caving in upon them. Those running stopped to help those trapped as Rapunzel, Eugene & the others offer their assistance to those buried underneath. Kristoff opened up the stable doors to allow Maximus, Sven, Angus & the other horses out as the animals gave them extra muscle in freeing those trapped. The group worked feverishly to get as many people out as possible before Sauron decides to return & gobble those like an aardvark would do to ants.

Merida, Elsa & Elinor met with Hal & Daphne in the main lobby of their home.

The husband-&-wife were stunned to see Elsa & Merida in different clothing, especially seeing Elsa with twin guns slung over her shoulder. Merida was armed with a bow & a quiver of arrows.

Both didn't understand it, but there were more important things to worry about than one's fashion sense.

"I owe you & Tamika an apology, Elsa, but that can wait!", Hal said. "We need to get not only these people out of here safely, but our livestock as well! I'm not letting some reject from the Mesozoic feed upon them like I'm giving handouts!"

"We won't, Hal!", Daphne said, cocking her rifle. "We'll gather up whatever weaponry we have & keep Sauron busy while some of us get those animals & the injured out of harm's way!"

"We'll do what we can on our end, Hal, Daphne!", Merida says, turning to the Snow Queen & Elinor. "Let's go, Elsa, Mum!"

Nodding, the trio took off as Hal & Daphne offered silent prayers to do their best & be cautious.

"Let's get to the _rest _of our armament, dear!", Hal said as Daphne nods & followed her hubby.

When they arrived, Hal & Daphne saw most other cowboys gathering whatever they could get their hands on & stocking up on ammo for each weapon. Their stash consisted of not only handguns, rifles & shotguns, but also rocket launchers, grenades, & even mini Gatling guns. Loading their firearms with the correct ammunition, the group readies to go into battle against an enemy not seen in millions of years.

"Let's go save our animals & cowboys, people!", Hal said, hefting his shotgun.

The crowd cheer sharply as they head out to do their duty as many took to their horses.

Sadly for Hal & the ranch, Sauron was _already _feeding on cattle as both Merida & Hal's people rushed out, seeing the Tyrannosaurus snatch up several cattle in his mouth & dining on live beef. Each animal Sauron gobbles up, noises of bones crunching can be heard from where they stood. So far, Sauron has consumed about a multitude of cattle down his gullet & into his stomach, with no end in sight.

The sight made Hal's own stomach get tied up in a knot, & he wasn't alone.

"_Take him down!_", Hal shouted as he, his wife & the other cowboys aimed & fired their weapons over at Sauron, unloading on the dinosaur like there was no tomorrow. Bullets, buckshot, rockets & even grenades pepper the saurian's body all over, causing Sauron to cry out not in pain but in surprise as he didn't expect his dinner to be interrupted by insignificant lifeforms.

Bellowing out another boisterous roar, Sauron charged his attackers.

"Scatter! Maybe we can _confuse _him!", Hal cried out.

His response was immediate: several cowboys broke up & ran in various directions like ants scurrying away after being discovered under a rock. As they did, the bombardment on the saurian never stopped or even slowed: Sauron got struck everywhere, from his legs & tail to his main body & even a couple stinging hits to the face which made Sauron howl in rage & pain. Many of the ranch's homes got trampled in the process, but these were already evacuated.

Some hopped in pickups & attached their Gatling guns to the rear before blazing away at the dinosaur with round after round of ammunition per second.

The barrage lasted for a good three minutes before Sauron went on the offensive.

Using his leg like a large pump, the Tyrannosaurus stepped on & flattened three men as if they were cockroaches, bones crunching being audible to all. With a swipe of his tail, Sauron pulverized another home into splinters as pieces of it flew everywhere, landing on other homes & even those trying to fight back or flee.

Anyone struck by this debris were killed instantly.

The pickups that held Gatling guns suffered a similar fate: snatching the vehicles in his jaws, Sauron tossed them like they were mere toys for great distances. Some smashed into other houses, others hit the ground & detonated just like bombs.

In each of these explosions, people died & debris flew everywhere.

Some of it even came close to hitting Elinor & the others, barely dodging death as they rushed to get the injured onto whatever vehicles they could find that weren't destroyed & away from the carnage that struck their home.

"That was _too _close!", Maui said, placing an injured man inside a waiting pickup & other available vehicles that were spared. "How many more have we got so far?"

"These people are the last of them!", Tamika said, helping an injured woman into the back before it took off to join the rest of the fleeing caravan. "But now thatwe _have_ gotten these people & many of the horses out of here…what next?"

Men crying out caught their attention, & the group can see several men on horses get lifted & snatched up in the saurian's mouth as rider & steed get swallowed after a sickening crunching of bones.

"You're not suggesting we _fight _that dinosaur, do you?", Royce said. "If Hal's _men _aren't able to stop him, what good can _we _do?"

"You & Tamika aren't going to be fighting _anything_, Royce!", Elinor said firmly. "Now that we _do _have all these people out of harm's way, _both _of you will be _joining _them…and _no argument!_"

Elinor punctuated her statement with 'the look' that won't _tolerate _any argument.

"Elinor's right!", Anna says. "Merida & my sister Elsa will be helping Hal – they're _trained _to deal with moments like this! You're both leaving this area even if we have to _hogtie _you – and thanks to Hal, we all know _how!_"

Royce & Tamika stared at the faces of Elsa, Merida & the rest: they were as firm as Elinor's own, with no sign of budging. It strictly told the two Navajos that their minds were made up, & no amount of pleading or otherwise will get them to change them.

Even their faithful animals Maximus, Sven & Angus wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"All right, we see you all made it official. We get that", Royce said. "We'll go. But on _one _condition: we do it _our _way! By helicopter!"

Their answer stunned them as Maui tried to object.

"The helicopter? But to _reach _it, you'll have to get past…"

"That's our terms!", Tamika said. "If you want to stop us, you _will _have to hogtie us!"

Another roar from Sauron gave them no time to argue.

"It _will _get them out of the vicinity faster", Eugene says. "And we can't spend all night _quarreling_ over it!"

"All right, Tamika…you & Royce win! Let's just _move!_", Moana said.

Nodding, Royce got on his cell phone & called a number.

"Stu? It's me, Royce!", he said. "Get your bird ready for liftoff: Hal & company will keep Sauron busy while we board!"

"_I'm already in the cockpit & starting her up right now! See you soon!_", Stu said before hanging up.

With Royce & Tamika leading the group, they run back into the danger.

It appears that Hal's plan is working: his people are distracting Sauron with their simultaneous attacks while Stu got the Chinook starting up as the blades spun faster with each passing second. But the casualties mounted: Sauron ate another man on his horse & swallowed both up even as he fired his gun while being picked up & consumed.

One cowboy even attempted to use land mines as he set them up in the speediest manner before diving for cover when Sauron came his way. The yellow-fleshed dinosaur stepped upon a quartet of them, creating a powerful blast that caused a crater in the ground & a stinging on his foot as he roared in pain & surprise. It was followed up by multiple rocket launcher attacks which delivered powerful blasts that shook the area like Sauron's footfalls do. The Tyrannosaur roared angrily & he gave chase to the perpetrators, snatching another in his maw before going down his gullet, crying in fear as horse & rider vanished from sight.

Tragic as it was, Elinor, Merida & the rest concentrated on getting the Navajos on the chopper, which was just about to lift off as they reached the helipad to see not only the Chinook ready for takeoff, but also the AW109 that had a pair in the cockpit.

Everything looked good, & Royce & Tamika were ready to make a dash towards the Chinook & get to safety.

"Excellent!", said Rapunzel. "All right, you two…get yourselves on board! We'll follow you shortly afterwards!"

Hearing the chopper blades even from where he stood, Sauron turned to both whirlybirds as the sounds of their blades caught his attention, ignoring the bullets & bombs striking him. Both Navajos & their friends notice this, & their blood ran cold.

"Oh no", Elsa & Merida whisper in great trepidation, freezing everyone in their tracks.

Stu also noticed Sauron eyeballing his whirlybird, & in his panic he took off as fast as he could without either of his intended passengers while the AW109 was still picking up speed. It still didn't do any good: moving in a speed that belied his great size, Sauron caught up to both choppers & caused a double catastrophe.

With his left foot, he crushed the AW109 & both its pilots like it was a model which caused it to explode as both men screamed in terror before meeting their demise. Stu & his chopper met a similar fate: opening his jaws, Sauron had literally taken a bite of the whirlybird that caused it to fall apart like a stale cookie as it exploded in Sauron's maw & sent the pieces flying everywhere. Elsa & company barely avoided getting hit by flying, flaming debris.

Like the pilots in the AW109, Stu died screaming.

"_STU!_", Royce & Hal cried out as they watched their friend go up in flaming wreckage.

Royce & Tamika's ride to safety went kaput.

They were lucky _not_ to have been in that chopper, lest they share the same fiery fate.

Destroying both birds, Sauron turned to a pen that sported pigs & chickens oinking/clucking in a frenzy from the dinosaur's presence. Leaving the helipad, Sauron made his way over & began feasting on the helpless animals as their cries for help get abruptly cut off before being consumed by the massive reptile.

"Those poor animals!" Kristoff said softly as it hurt him deeply, being an affectionate animal person.

"Don't worry, Kristoff!", Elsa said. "Merida & I have a plan to get him away from the livestock, but you all need to get yourselves to safety however you can!"

"What are _you two_ going to be doing?", asked Tamika.

"We'll rejoin with Hal & fill him in!", Merida says. "But please…do what Elsa says & _trust _us, Tamika!"

The circumstances left no room for argument.

"Don't make us regret it!", Royce says as he & Tamika head over to a safer area.

"Before _we _go to join them, Elsa…take Maximus", Rapunzel said. "He'll be a _great _help to you."

Maximus stood before Elsa & nodded firmly.

"Fair enough, Rapunzel", Elsa replied.

The rest wished Elsa & Merida luck before they follow the two Navajos, with Kristoff & Anna boarding Sven.

"You ready, Merida?", Elsa asked, placing one of her guns on her right forearm & boarding the Andalusian.

"Let's get to work, Elsa!", Merida said, boarding Angus & readying her bow.

As one, they raced off to meet with Hal, who saw their approach along with Daphne & several cowboys.

"The evacuation went well?", Daphne asked.

"Everyone who got injured is safely away, Daphne!", Merida says. "Our friends are joining them as we speak!"

"Glad to hear it, Merida!", Hal said. "But now we need to get Sauron _away _from here before he _eats _everything!"

"Merida & I have a plan to do that, Hal!", Elsa said. "We'll get Sauron's full attention & lure him away from the ranch before he levels it completely!"

"You mean have him chase you out into the desert & far from here?"

"Exactly, & I have _just _the thing to _get_ his attention!", Merida says, taking out three arrows & pulling back on her bow. She aimed carefully at the dinosaur's neck area, just behind the head.

Once she knows she has him dead-on, Merida let her arrows fly.

Like the superb marksman she is, Merida's aim was true: Sauron was struck between his head & neck as all three of Merida's arrows unleashed a powerful electrical charge that actually jolted his body & caused him to cry out in fury.

Pinpointing where this pain originated from, Sauron locked his reptilian gaze on Merida, who readied another arrow to give the dinosaur another jolt. Roaring in anger, Sauron began advancing towards the red-haired human, going like a cat of prey as his footsteps shook the ground.

After five steps, Sauron halted as a lone human stepped out into the open between him & Hal's group.

"What in the…", Hal said, wondering who'd be stupid enough to get in the path of a large carnivorous dinosaur.

"Oh my _god_, Hal…it's _Ned!_", Daphne cried out, recognizing the mop-haired Navajo anywhere.

"_Ned?!_", Elsa, Merida & several other cowboys shouted in surprise.

"_Ned! What are you DOING?!_", Hal shouted at him.

"What needs to be done, Hal", Ned said, more to himself than his friend.

Ned held out his arms like bird wings, each of his hands holding a grenade with a finger through the pin. All Ned needs to do is jerk his fingers & the grenades are live.

Staring up at Sauron, the Tyrannosaurus did the same back as Ned began shouting at him.

"For _years _my people lived in fear of you, Sauron, after you _turned _on us when we summoned you to do battle with the New Mexicans that fought us with _their _creature named Talon! You defeated the beast with your own savagery & feasted upon his flesh, but you didn't _stop_ there: you nearly _starved _our ancestors to death because of that ravenous appetite you were cursed with! We thought we were _rid _of you forever, but that very curse wouldn't _allow _you to _stay _down, would it?! And now you've risen again, picking up where you left off! Well Sauron, if you want another meal, then _take me!_"

Like Sauron, Hal & everyone else listened to Ned's rantings at the Tyrannosaur.

"You hear me, reptile?! If you want another meal, Sauron…_take me!_", Ned shouted.

The yellow-fleshed T-Rex stared at Ned, unsure of what to do. Ned stood perfectly still, unmoving anywhere as he waits for the saurian to make a choice. Hal thought Ned was crazier than usual, but he did give the Navajo credit: he stood firm at the creature he ranted about the other day, fearful of his legacy & yet here he was – staring certain death in the face, like he was meeting his maker in a weird & perverse way.

It was bravery like Hal, Daphne or anyone else never witnessed.

Sauron raised his head & roared, the sound echoing everywhere.

When he brought it down again, Ned pulled the pins on his grenades. It was a simple plan: once Sauron consumes him, the grenades he holds will destroy the dinosaur from within & end this nightmare.

Ned put on a sinister smile, which abruptly disappeared: with near-blinding speed, Sauron did a 180 degree turn as he swatted Ned with his tail, sending him flying through the air for several seconds before the grenades he held went off, killing the Navajo in a fiery blast. Everyone who witnessed the spectacle gasped at the unexpected turn of events, & some even averted their eyes once detonation occurred.

Brave as he was, Ned's plan was all for naught.

"Ned", Hal & Daphne said softly in sorrow.

Done with the preliminaries, Sauron turned once more to face the redhead human that gave him a hurtful shock.

The Tyrannosaurus let out a blaring roar.

It gave Elsa a perfect moment to strike: with her gun placed on her right forearm, she was free to use her power & shot a beam of ice directly into the dinosaur's open maw, filling it with an unpleasant frozen treat.

Seeing this spectacle, the cowboys were stunned at the power Elsa's guns created.

But it _is _effective: Sauron shook his head violently to get the ice out of his mouth, & even his nostrils were each covered in ice, cutting off his breathing passages. It was a tactic similar to what Elsa did to the Plesiosaur last year over at Saiko Lake to give Godzilla Junior a fighting chance.

All they had to do was wait until Sauron passed out & collapse from lack of oxygen.

He never does: in a move that surprised everyone, Sauron actually _bit down _on the ice in his mouth & shattered it to pieces. His jaws were like those of an alligator or crocodile's: whenever they snap their jaws shut, their muscles are so strong that not even the strongest man in the world can stop them from closing. With that powerful a bite, they can snap apart a steel rod with hardly any difficulty.

Removing the ice covering his nasal passages, Sauron bellowed a roar in a burning rage, being hurt twice by the humans – once with electricity, the other with ice that actually stung.

Sauron's gaze turned on both Merida & Elsa, growling like an angry dog would.

Merida & Elsa knew that gaze of death was meant for them.

"_Everybody run!_", Elsa & Merida shouted.

In unison, they all turned tail & raced off, hoping that Sauron would follow them & ignore the remainder of the ranch.

They weren't disappointed: as the cowboys, Elsa & Merida race for the open Arizona desert, Sauron gave chase & went in the direction of the fleeing humans. He made a move that shocked even seasoned veterans like Hal: using his leg muscles to their full potential, Sauron makes a mighty leap that took him soaring over the fleeing herd & landing at a distance of 30 meters before them.

Elsa, Merida & the others watched the Tyrannosaurus fly over & came to an abrupt stop when Sauron landed, the impact shaking the earth. The Snow Queen fired her gun again, but this time Sauron ran off before it could hit: following the running dinosaur, Elsa pointed her weapon & fired her ice wherever Sauron ran. A stream of ice covered the ranch as the Tyrannosaurus stayed ahead of Elsa's weapon to avoid being put in cold storage.

Many evacuated houses were trampled during Sauron's run, & Elsa's ice only added to the chaos.

She can apologize later for her part: stopping Sauron takes first priority.

Like before, Sauron made a high leap over the oncoming projectile, but _this _time he does it _backwards_.

Twirling in mid-air like a champion diver, Sauron landed at 200 meters from Hal's party. It was still enough to make the ground rumble for the horses & their riders to briefly be shaken & lose their sense of balance. Once it passed, Merida recovered quickly & fired three more electric arrows in rapid succession, almost like she was firing them from a gun rather than a bow.

In an unbelievable sight, Sauron saw & _dodged _each oncoming projectile, moving in a speed that many would deem impossible for a creature that big. Elsa tried again in hitting Sauron with her ice, but the dinosaur dodged _that _as well: no matter what Elsa _or _Merida tried, neither could hit their target despite their exceptional skills.

Their barrage ended as soon as it began, leaving them orally speechless.

_The shaman was correct when he said that Sauron possessed an advanced intelligence!_, Elsa thought.

_This prehistoric bugger truly _is _smarter than he looks!_, Merida thought.

She wasn't wrong: Sauron _is _smarter than his late Cretaceous brethren, & he knew to avoid receiving another ice attack or even an electrical barrage.

He _also _knows who gave him such trouble, & his hard stare at Elsa Sugimoto & Merida Fleming told the ladies everything they needed to know.

_He has it in for us!_, Elsa & Merida thought.

Unleashing a boisterous roar, Sauron bent down before making a mighty leap straight at the two ladies, his jaws open wide as he intends to devour both in a single bite.

For once, Elsa was just as frozen as her own ice, unable to speak, let alone move.

Merida was struck with the same trepidation.

Maui wanted to use _his _own power to lend an assist to the ladies, but without something to conceal it like what Elsa has, he had to nix the idea: nakedly revealing his power in front of Hal, Daphne & the rest might make them more fearful of _him_ than of Sauron.

All he, Elinor & the rest could do was watch helplessly.

Halfway through the air, Sauron gets buffeted by a powerful force which knocked him several hundred meters away south of the ranch. The Tyrannosaurus was dropped onto the ground by a giant lepidopteran sporting a 70-meter long body with a 170-meter wide wingspread that has a colorful pattern of yellow, orange, red, black white & brown. A pair of blue eyes, antennae & black mandibles made up its head/face, with three pairs of legs underneath its brownish underside.

"_Mothra!_", Elinor & her group says, happy to see a friendly/familiar face coming to their aide at a desperate time.

Getting up & shaking off the grogginess from the unexpected hit, Sauron looked to find his assailant & saw the lepidopteran circling around before she put herself between him & the ranch. Mothra barked angry chirps at Sauron as he gave her indifferent, his snapping growls getting more threatening by the moment. Their taunts of each other lasted for a good two minutes before Sauron makes the first move: bellowing a roar, he leaped at Mothra, who began flapping her wings in rapid succession to create hurricane-like winds that actually blew Sauron back like he was a feather. The yellow-fleshed dinosaur got back onto his feet & was again buffeted by powerful winds created by Mothra's wings: it was so powerful that Sauron was being dragged backwards on the ground, even as he dug his foot claws to try to anchor himself.

It wasn't working: the gusts were strong enough to create crevices in the ground where Sauron planted his claws into, & even his powerful legs weren't stopping him from being driven back by this overgrown insect.

Unless Sauron does something, he'll literally be blown away.

Acting fast, the Tyrannosaur made a dive over to his left that put him out of range of Mothra's winds. Before the butterfly could reposition herself, Sauron leaped at his enemy & opened his jaws to take a bite out of her wing. Mothra moved in a speed which belied her size by diving over to _her _left, making Sauron miss her by inches as he snapped his maw shut, snatching nothing but air. Sauron landed with a thud & spun 180 degrees to face his insect foe, who strikes with her antennae beams, hitting the dinosaur in the chest. Sauron roared in pain as the beams seared his flesh, creating a pair of marks that bled. In an enraged state, Sauron charged after Mothra as she flew backwards just quick enough to stay out of his reach.

She kept firing her antennae beams at the Tyrannosaurus, scoring direct hits each time & enraging him more.

Even though she's not stopping him, Mothra _is _succeeding in getting him away from the ranch & everyone in it.

Getting Sauron out on more open ground will be to her advantage.

Now that she got her enemy over 1,200 meters away from the ranch, Mothra got more aggressive: in a move that was unexpected, she rammed herself into Sauron at full force, knocking him down on his side before flying off. When Sauron got back onto his feet, he was buffeted & knocked down again. It happened multiple times from various angles – from behind, the sides, & even head-on as Sauron was too groggy to see straight. No matter how many times he tried getting & staying up, he was beaten down by his insect foe.

The Tyrannosaurus was beginning to black out when he was attacked by a new method: from Mothra's wings, an electrical barrage erupted & struck Sauron like a vengeful god. The voltage made Sauron bellow out in pain & rage as his entire body was feeling the full effects of Mothra's electrical attack. There wasn't any place upon Sauron that he _didn't_ feel the anguish at: from his nostrils to the tip of his tail, the dinosaur was receiving punishment like never before.

He was determined to end it.

Ironically, the very pain Sauron was receiving also gave him motivation: in a blinding fury, the Tyrannosaurus leaped up & snatched Mothra by her left wing, biting down hard on it. The move caught Mothra unawares, & the weight of her foe pulled her down to his level before Sauron shook his enemy like a cat would do to a mouse once it's caught. Mothra tried pulling herself away from Sauron, but the Tyrannosaur would have none of it: he swiveled her around in the air before bashing her onto the ground like he was trying to swat other insects.

Each body slam was with sledgehammer force, & it jarred Mothra from the inside.

Now the tables were turned: Mothra was receiving intense pain she'd given Sauron, who had every intention of returning the favor – with extreme prejudice.

Mothra fought to stay conscious during the assault, but after vicious ten body slams she was starting to black out from the pain. She knew not to: once she does, Mothra will be torn apart by her prehistoric quarry without mercy.

If she ever needed to break free, now was the time.

Firing her antennae beams blindly, Mothra struck Sauron along his side, causing cuts that bled & forced him to release his hold. Staggering back from the unexpected hit, Sauron stumbled as Mothra fought to get herself airborne to avoid being trampled. It's exactly what Sauron had in mind: leaping 60 meters into the air, the Tyrannosaur came down over Mothra just as the butterfly pushed forward & escaped getting slammed from above, using every ounce of strength in putting herself out of harm's way.

All Sauron landed on was barren ground, which shook with the impact.

He still wasn't letting Mothra off the hook: seeing his winged enemy, Sauron ran towards, leaped up & bit down on Mothra's abdomen, causing her to cry out. The lepidopteran tried pulling away, but Sauron's jaws were like a vice: no amount of pulling would ever make him let go of his prey once something tasty was caught in his mouth.

Sauron intends to make a meal out of this irritating butterfly, & her resistance will only make his feasting on her all the more satisfying.

But caught still doesn't mean helpless: from Mothra's abdomen shot a multitude of cone-shaped stingers that had entered Sauron's mouth & pierced the flesh on his head. Each one felt like a bee sting which caused the dinosaur to cry out & release his intended prey, the pain making him feel somewhat bloated & numb as he stumbled. It was a tactic in which Mothra used on the bat creature Bagorah when she fought the beast with Rodan in Russia's Volgograd a year-&-a-half ago.

Violently shaking his head to get as many of the stingers out of his mouth as he could, Sauron never saw Mothra approaching from behind.

But he could _sense _her: acting on instinct, Sauron did a swift 360 degree turn when Mothra was close enough & swatted her head with his tail in a hit that sent her tumbling across the sky. The lepidopteran landed upon her back as she skidded across the plains, kicking up dust. Sauron ran towards & pinned her wings with his feet before Mothra can even think about getting airborne: letting out a roar, Sauron bent over & bit down on Mothra's head, his teeth piercing her flesh which caused her to cry out. Being on her back with Sauron pinning her down meant she couldn't fly.

It didn't, however, mean she was helpless: with what strength she had, Mothra launched her lightning attack from her wings that hit Sauron like a slap in the face, adding to his pain & making him retreat long enough for Mothra to get herself up even as she lay on her back. Once she got high enough, Mothra flipped herself upright & turned 180 degrees to face her prehistoric opponent.

Even before she got within reach of him, Mothra fired her antennae beams at Sauron, followed by another barrage of her stingers which stung his body everywhere. When Mothra was close enough, she gave the Tyrannosaurus another dosage of her electrical attack, adding to his intense anguish. The dinosaur's body started smoking in spots, & even a number of areas were bleeding where stingers did damage. Sauron howled like a tortured wolf, & he wouldn't get any relief unless he did something to finish off his winged opponent or ditch her long enough to make a retreat.

When Mothra came in for another pass, Sauron used his tail like a whip to smack his enemy in the underside in a move that stunned the giant butterfly, leaving her vulnerable temporarily. It was all Sauron needs: with a swipe of his foot claws, the dinosaur made cuts into Mothra's underside & wings, causing bleeding cuts that made her screech out boisterously. For good measure, Sauron bit down on & tore off a piece of her flesh from the back when she passed by, the wound spilling ichor as the dinosaur ate the chunk he took off of her.

Mothra cried out even louder as she made a retreat, unable to resume fighting.

She'd be easy pickings for Sauron if not for one factor: _he _was also too weak to continue fighting, having taken such punishment he thought unworthy. The ripping off her flesh was a last-minute act of desperation.

Now he was too exhausted to resume, & Sauron started making his retreat southwards, thankfully getting further away from the ranch & every living soul residing in it.

Mothra & Sauron each let out a chirp & roar of defeat as they withdrew from each other: Mothra headed north as Sauron went south. Both moved rather quickly despite their injuries.

Elinor & the rest watched as Mother flew over them, their hearts sagging over Mothra's defeat, & seeing Sauron ripping a chunk out of her made them sick, as it was a horrid sight to witness.

"Sauron's leaving", said Royce said, seeing the Tyrannosaur go.

"But he _will _be back", said a fearful Tamika.

That same dreaded feeling hit Hal & his people.

"With that chunk Sauron took out of Mothra, what's going to _happen_ to her?", Daphne asked. "Will she die?"

Nobody could answer that question including her husband, as their faces were filled with doubt.

Even Merida & Elsa were speechless.

"I don't know, honey", Hal said in all honesty. "I _hope _she'll pull through. But in the meantime, we'd better get started on checking the damage & see if there's anyone who _didn't _make it out in time."

"We'd better give them a hand, Elsa", Merida suggested.

"That we will, Merida", Elsa said, getting on her cell & texting Anna to return to the ranch to assist Hal & the others in finding those not lucky enough to escape Sauron's wrath, if any.

"That was Elsa", Anna said, reading her cell before pocketing it. "She & Merida wants us back to search for any people that couldn't get out."

"If there are, Anna, let's hope we're not too late", Rapunzel said. "Let's get to work."

Nodding, the group regrouped with Elsa, Merida & the rest to begin a fruitful search.

_Sedona, an hour later:_

Just as the day's first rays of sunshine rose over in the east, Mothra made her way over to one of Arizona's most beautiful places for tourists to visit – the Sedona area, located between the Coconino & Yavapai counties in the north Verde Valley region. With barely enough strength, she flew over to the breathtaking red rock formations as she makes her descent.

Kicking up dust & causing the nearby trees to sway, Mothra lands at the base of this historic rock formation, her wings collapsing as they exhausted their strength carrying her. A soft chirp escaped her proboscis, & her head slumped with the rest of her body as the wound Sauron inflicted bled still, making her weak.

All she needs to do now is wait for what awaits her.

_Elsewhere, in the Pacific Ocean:_

For several days, Godzilla Junior swam through the water as Gaira & Sanda followed the young monster, each one curious as to his intentions. It became a mystery to the two gargantuan siblings at first, but in a day's or two time, they felt this presence of malevolence exactly as Junior did: like his older sibling, Godzilla Junior has a sixth sense that helps him to detect when a threat is present, even if it's from a distance away.

It was one of the reasons as to how he was able to know about the threat of the Plesiosaur & Rhamphorhynchus at Saiko Lake last year.

Now he felt this new threat originating in the United States & swam to face & defeat it.

That same feeling went for Gaira & Sanda.

Whatever they face, it will be as a group.

Junior leading the charge, the monster caravan continue in their trek.

They will reach it very soon.

**CHAPTER VII**

_The Sugimoto residence, Tokyo, Japan, 10:00 p.m.:_

During the daylight hours, Hal & Elinor's groups searched the ruins of the ranch for any survivors that could not get out fast enough when Sauron tore into the place like a living tornado – the same one that caused the destruction to all those other ranches in the Arizona plains. Maximus, Sven & Angus also did their parts as they lifted debris to find anyone still trapped. Like they feared, they _did _find several people who weren't quick enough & got buried underneath what remained of their homes.

The good news is that some were alive & their injuries didn't look to be too serious.

The bad news is that they found some that didn't make it.

What's worse, there were twice as many that died than those that were saved.

It was the beginning of a backbreaking day that would most likely lead into the next.

Anna Sugimoto turned another year older on this day, but her mood was anything but cheerful: seeing those all caught underneath debris & pulling out corpses really put a damper on her special day.

Everybody apologized to Anna, from her own sister to Daphne Jenkins, saying that a birthday girl should never need to bear witness to such a catastrophe, much less be pulling bodies from wreckage, alive or not.

Anna said there was no need for apologies, but was grateful to receive their sympathies.

For hours, they continued laboring until nightfall.

Over in Tokyo, Tajima, his family, Olaf, Hiroshi, Rokuro, & professor Mizaki all heard about the disaster over in Arizona where the group were staying at. Immediately, Hidemi texted Kristoff to see if they were okay.

The outdoorsman stated that they all were, giving them a big relief.

But knowing that Sauron was alive somewhere in the state they were staying did little to ease their fears: despite his injuries inflicted upon him by Mothra, Sauron _is _still a grave threat to them, & they have no idea if Mothra was still alive. From what Elsa told them, the butterfly's injuries looked severe.

Once they got the details of what went down, Tajima decided to get in touch via webcam to Gus Fleming, Nathan & Patricia Benice, & even General Danielle Hale. Every one of them answered once they received the call from Tajima.

Even French agent Phillipe Roache who was paying Gus a visit in Elinor's absence was present, same with both Stephanie Beatrice & Dennis who were beside the Benice husband-&-wife.

As the Japanese scientist explained the situation, it became Danielle's turn when he finished.

"_So what exactly _is _being done on your end, General? Any developments?_", Nathan asked on camera.

"_Even as we speak, Nathan, we have several drones out searching for Sauron_", Danielle says. "_They've all been sent ever since we got the report from the government a few hours ago. So far, we've not found a single trace of him._"

"_You couldn't find a 60-meter tall Tyrannosaurus in that time, General? Where can something that big even hide?_", Dennis says in surprise.

"_Trust me, Dennis…you'd be _very _surprised._"

"Were you able to at least find Mothra anywhere in the vicinity, General?", Akemi asked.

"_It was almost too easy, Akemi: the drones found her lying next to the red rocks formation in the Sedona area of Arizona. Taking a closer look, it seems Elsa's story was correct: Mothra was riddled with scratches on her body, & she _did _get a piece of her back ripped off. I can tell you right now, it _doesn't_ look good._"

"Mothra hasn't moved any since you found her?", Tajima asked.

Danielle shook her head solemnly.

Her melancholy mood was felt by the others.

"Can't you send in some of your people, General…to lend Elsa, Merida & the others an assist?", Hidemi asked.

Again, Danielle shook her head.

But it was Stephanie that answered.

"_From what we saw on the news, Hidemi, President Clinton has issued a state of emergency by putting Arizona in a literal state of quarantine: nothing & nobody is allowed in or out without the Pentagon's or her approval until the crisis with Sauron can get resolved._"

"_All we _did _get permission for is sending in the drones to locate Sauron before any type of action can be taken on dealing with him_", General Hale said."_As for Mothra, she's surrounded by local police, who are keeping bystanders at a distance._"

"So you mean to say that Elsa & the others…are on their own?", Olaf says. "Haven't you told President Clinton that Elsa & Merida are there? They _did _attend that meeting over at the United Nations with her last November."

"_I'm so sorry, Olaf: you _know _I'd send in help if I could. I'd even go myself, but we're all under orders from the Pentagon _and _the President. Unless they say otherwise, nobody enters or leaves Arizona, lest they be subject to arrest. And yes – I _did _tell Madam President of Elsa & Merida's presence there. But…regrettable as it is for her, it couldn't alter her decision…not even for them._"

Olaf sagged in dismay & sadness.

"_Oh my _god_, Tajima…what _did _we send Elinor & those kids _into_?!_", Patricia says, the fear evident in her voice.

Nathan held her close in comfort.

"_Patricia, love…there was _no way _you or any of us could've known about this before we sent my dear Elinor & the kids off for their get-together_", Gus stepped in. "_But even with this turn of events hanging over their heads, it's not like they're helpless._"

"_Monsieur Gus is correct, mon Cherie_", Phillipe said. "_While young, those people _know _how to handle themselves in situations such as this. _They've _been handling giant creatures & the like _long before _they met any of us. They're all more resourceful than some people give them credit for. The best we can do for now is have faith in them._"

The conversation was silent as they ponder on Phillipe's words. He was right: Elinor & the kids _have _dealt with giant monsters previously in their _original _times before arriving in the 21st Century. They even recall how Merida went up against & _killed a sorcerer _with a sword through his heart, how Elsa froze Megalon before doing so with Kristoff, Anna, Sven & herself, & Rapunzel healing Mothra's larva before death could occur.

Not to mention the original Maui & Moana's ties to the butterfly that lasts to this very day.

Each were life-threatening situations, & they survived them all.

That couldn't be denied.

"Have you brought this up with our friends from Russia, General?", Emiko asked. "They _should _be filled in on this even if they can't offer you any aide."

"_Not just yet, Emiko_", General Hale said. "_But I _will _fill_ _them in of the situation when I get the chance. Right now, I'm needed back at my post. Whatever news I can gather, I'll give each one of you a text. Good enough?_"

Seeing no way around it, everyone nodded, saying they agree.

"That will do, General. Domo arigato", Mizaki says before all screens go black.

The Sugimoto home was quiet for a few moments before Rokuro spoke in his tongue.

"Uncle Hiroshi, it's too bad Jet Jaguar isn't operational at the moment", he says. "_He'd _head on over to Arizona & give Elsa & the others much-needed assistance."

"I know, Roku-chan", Hiroshi says. "But with me doing an extensive upgrade in his systems currently, he won't be ready for any action for a month's time – a span of time Elinor & the kids don't have. Olaf was correct before – they truly _are _on their own. Like you, I wish it _was _different."

Akemi & Emiko turn to their parents, each with worried/sad faces.

"Mama", Akemi said.

"Papa", Emiko said.

Hidemi & Tajima held their arms out for their daughters to embrace them, being scared & worried for their family members & friends as they are.

Unable to keep it in any longer, the two Sugimoto sisters sobbed softly as their parents comforted them.

They were on the verge of crying too, but did a better job at concealing it.

Olaf didn't need any translation: he knew what they were referring to, & he turned around & walked away, his upper half sagging in sorrow.

Rokuro went over to the snowman's side for moral support.

Hiroshi & Mizaki turned to each other, unsure of what to say.

Instead, they hung their heads, feeling helpless.

Gus Fleming & Phillipe Roache felt the same way over in London, England.

Patricia & Nathan Benice in Manhattan were just as worried, despite knowing the resourcefulness of Rapunzel, Eugene & their friends.

Dennis & Stephanie did their best to offer them comfort.

_The Tohono O'Odham Nation Reservation, Sunday, June 25__th__, 7:00 a.m.:_

In the early morning hours of the week's beginning, the residents of this patch of land which sports a sizable town named Spearhead prepare to begin their day & week with a hearty breakfast both at home & at the local eatery, where fresh food is served daily. It is quite a large but simple little town, reflecting to the days of the old west where there are no kinds of modern-day communications, & the only transportations are by horse & several vehicles.

This town's population is consisted mostly of Navajo Indians, with several white men who share & agree to their terms of life. Those that have were stragglers who were looking for shelter to escape the flaws of civilized man, while others seek a new beginning & everlasting peace.

Each of them have found it here in the town of Spearhead, with no intention of returning to the lives which they once knew.

On this Sunday morning, that peace was shattered when Sauron reemerged from a nearby crevice after lying low for a few days after the injuries he sustained from Mothra, all of which were fully healed.

Now he was ready for a rematch with the giant moth.

He was also hungry. _Very _hungry!

Without warning, the Tyrannosaurus attacked Spearhead with even less mercy & snatched/gobbled up several of the inhabitants before swallowing them whole like they were tidbits, demolishing a good number of the buildings in the process. Vehicles were thrown like toys as Sauron chased down & ate every living thing he saw, including the family pets he encountered, from dogs to even the family cats & canaries.

Being on a feeding frenzy, Sauron wasn't too picky about what he ate.

Those that had guns took aim & fired back at the yellow-fleshed dinosaur, but their weapons proved ineffective as bullets & even buckshot bounced off his thick hide like they were popcorn. Valiantly as they fought, they all ended up in the stomach of Sauron as he gobbled up the would-be heroes in seconds, their screams of terror ceasing abruptly.

Some with horses tried making a break for it, but they never got far: Sauron chased them down like leopards do with prey & snatched up both rider & horse with ease before swallowing them after a bone-crunching sound.

None of the got too far before being Sauron's prey.

Anyone lucky enough to get into a vehicle to escape met the same unlucky fate.

Going back into town, Sauron searched for more tasty morsels to consume, finding some but found that most have gone hiding. While his back was turned on those that were fleeing, the priests over at the local church – which was about four times larger than a regular one – were urging citizens inside to stay hidden until the horror that ravaged their town decided to get weary & move on.

Mostly everyone who was able to made it inside the church, packing it good like a sardine can.

Everyone fought to stay quiet as Sauron's footsteps could be felt & heard within the holy building, with parents urging their children to make not even the slightest noise, fearing even that might attract the dinosaur's attention. The sounds outside of destruction & people screaming in terror before being permanently silenced made it difficult for some to stay silent, their cries of anguish & horror going unanswered.

With each victory, Sauron blared out with his roar that was louder than the church bell.

Because of no modern communications anywhere in town, nobody could radio for help – a factor the townspeople were now regretting.

For close to an hour, the chaos ensued.

Then it ended, just as abruptly as it began.

Everyone remained quiet to listen for any sounds of footsteps or roars from the prehistoric monster.

Like one would do with an actual can of sardines, Sauron grabbed the rim of the church roof & ripped it off with a single maneuver, exposing the multitude of people that sought refuge inside. Seeing that the horror found them, each person – young & old – started screaming in terror as Sauron bellowed loudly before dipping his snout into the building.

Sauron's breakfast feast could now resume.

_The Manuelito Casino & Hotel, 10:00 a.m.:_

Merida, Elsa & the rest continued lending their assistance at Hal & Daphne's ranch until Saturday night when the former cowboy told the group that while they _do _appreciate their hard work in rescuing survivors & then some, they'd resume the cleanup on their own from that moment on. Maui & Moana wanted to persist, but Daphne mentioned they didn't want to push themselves too hard on a burden that was never theirs to begin with.

Seeing they couldn't get them to change their minds, they all agreed.

As luck would have it, Hal's limousine & the three SUVs that carried the mobile stables were spared Sauron's wrath & miraculously hasn't a scratch on any of them. Maximus & Angus would each share one with Royce & Tamika's equestrian, one that Maui & Moana chose to keep for their stay.

As for Royce, he rode his pickup once those that carried the injured away returned to the ranch, the driver stating they'd be staying at the hospital in Phoenix.

On the plus side, Kristoff's text to Hidemi stating they were okay released _some _of the tension despite knowing they were still in danger from Sauron. The next text they got was from Elsa's cell phone from General Danielle Hale, saying they found Mothra laying at the red rock formation in the Sedona area of the state. Hale added that Mothra's condition was very dire, & her chances of recovery was slim to none. What's worse, for days since Sauron's attack on the ranch, none of the drones sent in could locate any trace of the Tyrannosaurus anywhere in the state.

That piece of news was a stunner to all, with Eugene wondering where a creature that big could hide out in an area like Arizona.

Like she told Dennis, Hale said that the one-time Flynn Rider would be surprised.

Eugene took Hale on her word.

The General concluded that they'd keep up the search for Sauron, but warned the group not to try & flee Arizona for any reason, as it was in a state of quarantine at present time.

Understanding, Elsa ended her texting to Danielle with one that wished her luck, with the General doing the same for her & the rest.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the group slept good that night as Hal, Daphne & their caravan left the mobile stables on the side of the hotel/casino before heading back for the ranch.

On this Sunday morning, the weather report announced they were in for some stormy clouds that threaten to rain cats & dogs later in the day. Already the skies were showing a multitude of clouds from the west that were slowly but surely making their way in the direction of their position, which would cause for a cancellation of the drones to prevent them getting blown around & smashing to the ground or into rock formations since they were not designed to withstand such powerful wind gusts.

No doubt the oncoming storm will produce such an occurrence.

The morning took a turn for the worse when none other than Clyde Winchester paid the building a visit at 9:00 a.m., getting a heated stare from everyone including Pascal, who turned red with anger. Bill Sidewinder, who had also stayed the night, was surprised to see the U.S. government man in the building.

When Bill asked what Clyde wanted, he simply stated his business was with Royce, & Royce alone.

Not wanting a conflict to erupt that would turn ugly, Royce agreed to speak with him in private.

For the next hour, Clyde & Royce argued about payments for the hotel/casino, along with other business.

It _did _turn out to be a heated argument, with Clyde stating that the deadline would be paid up by then, or Royce can kiss his assets _and _his building goodbye. Clyde added that Hal's ranch is _also _in danger of foreclosure, & that he'd better notify his good friend at his earliest convenience.

The young Navajo stormed out of the room, fuming & wishing he could beat the government man to death with his bare hands.

When Maui asked Royce what happened, he relayed the information back.

Not one of them were too happy with hearing the results.

"Hal _said _that Clyde Winchester fellow was a snake, & he certainly wasn't _lying _about it!", Moana said fiercely.

"From what you _told _us, Royce, this feels more like _extortion_ rather than a simple business transaction!", Eugene said. "Isn't there _anything _you can do to get him off your case?"

"Aside from paying off what I owe for this place, Eugene, not really", Royce says.

"You may have some _trouble _indoing that, Royce", Bill said. "Several of the patrons who made reservations – in fact, _all _of them – were asking to have them _cancelled_."

This revelation was like a punch to the gut for the young Navajo.

"Cancelled?!", he cried. "Are you _kidding me?!_"

"Does it _look like _I'm kidding?!", Bill replied in defense. "I don't _blame _these people for wanting to cancel their stay here, Royce! In case you haven't _noticed_, fella, there's a big, meat-eating _dinosaur _running amok in Arizona! Ain't _nobody _in their right minds would want to remain here & wait to get _eaten _by this thing! The people are all high-strung & frightened enough as it is, including in Phoenix & Tuscon! Plus, we're in a _quarantine zone_, enforced by Congress & the President herself! Who's got the time to relax & take a vacation here – or _anywhere else_, for that matter?!"

"I've spent my _life _building this place from the ground up! I'm not _about _to abandon it on account of some reject from the Mesozoic that's decided to make a reappearance & wreak havoc! This is _my _place of business, & if I have to go down with the ship should it sink, _so be it!_"

Bill stared at Royce like he'd never saw him before.

"So be it, Royce!", the cowboy said. "Personally, I don't know _what _Hal sees in you, but you always _were _such a stubborn fool, same as him! Then again, one can't ever expect a leopard to change its spots! But here's a little friendly advice, for old time's sake: the _best _business you should be in right now is _no _business whatsoever!"

Without another word, Bill stormed away from Royce & the others.

The young Navajo didn't even watch him go.

Bill was gone in seconds & the group turned their attention from him back to Royce.

"I'm so sorry, Royce", Tamika said.

Royce mumbled something under his breath.

"What?", Tamika prompted.

This time Royce _did _turn around, & his face was full of undisguised contempt.

"I'll just _bet _that you are!", he snapped, causing her to step back in surprise.

"Royce?", said Kristoff, Eugene & Maui.

"What are you _talking _about?", Tamika asks.

"As if _you _don't know!", Royce fumed. "Ever since day one, you were _always _against this idea of mine to put up this casino & hotel so that I can _help _our people who are all but _suffering_, Tamika…and _have _been for _years _now! But what do _you _want me to do?! Work in the mines that are practically _empty _of its natural resources & be their godforsaken _medicine man!_"

"But that's what you _are_, Royce! That's what you're _supposed _to be!"

"I _can't _be something that I'm _not! _Don't you _get it _yet?! Are you _still _set on living in the past that you would go & forsake our people's _future?! _This is the 21st Century! Get with the _times_, woman!"

"You're _already _forsaking our people's future by _forgetting _about their _past_, Royce! Yes, this _is _the 21st Century, granted, but that _still _doesn't mean we throw away our history like used tissues! You've never believed in Sauron when the old shaman & even our _parents _told it to you as we were growing, believing it was only a story in order to frighten us to do our chores or straighten us out when we misbehaved! But guess what? It turned out to be _true_, & we nearly lost our very _lives _that night!"

"I was _there_, Tamika! I _don't need _a reminder of it!"

"I think you _do!_ Sauron is a grim reminder of what happens when we discard events from the past! Remember the old saying: 'Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'!"

"So you're saying that Sauron's reappearance is _my _fault?! Because I _didn't _listen to all those stories told to us by our elders?!"

"Hold _on _there, mister! I _never _said that! All I'm _trying _to say is…"

"I _know _what you're 'trying to say': you've waited for the _perfect _moment for my idea to fail miserably, & much to _my_ dismay, it looks like you're _finally _going to get your wish!"

Royce got closer until he was only inches from Tamika's face, who shrunk beneath it.

"Well, guess what? It _just _came true, so I hope you're _very _happy with yourself!", he growled before turning & storming away as they watch him go. Seconds later, a door loudly slammed shut.

The room became deathly quiet until Moana broke the silence.

"Give him a little time, Tamika. With everything going on right now, he's just high-strung. I doubt he ever _meant _what he said before about…"

Tamika turned around to face her, her face a mask of sorrow & eyes filled with tears.

"Tamika?", Anna & Rapunzel said.

The young Navajo female couldn't say anything, as a lump in her throat formed which blocked any words coming out from her mouth. What _did _was an uncontrollable sadness as Tamika buried her face in her hands & cried her heart out before running off in the opposite direction of Royce.

"Tamika, wait!", Merida said as she & Moana start going after her but were stopped by Elinor.

"Hold on, girls", she says. "Let _me _go & speak with her. You _know _I can get through to her…and I _will _be gentle, I promise."

Elinor's warm smile told the girls all they need to know, & they nodded.

"You're right, Mum", Merida said. "You _should _be the one to go talk to her."

"While you do that, Elinor, the _rest _of us will do so with Royce", Kristoff says. "_He _needs a good talking to as well."

The former Queen of DunBroch nodded as Elinor headed in Tamika's direction, with the rest going in Royce's.

It was rather simple for Elinor to find the room Tamika put herself in: her crying was a dead giveaway, & she gently knocked on the door.

"I don't want to _speak _to you right now, Royce! Go away!", Tamika snapped.

"Tamika, it isn't Royce. It's Elinor", she says.

Immediately the Navajo female stopped crying & came to the door.

She saw that it _is _Elinor.

"I-I'm _so sorry_, Elinor, I thought you were…", Tamika says, feeling guilty.

"It's okay, dear. May I come in?", Elinor says, taking no offense to her outburst.

Nodding, Tamika allowed her access into the room as the two ladies get over to a sofa & sit.

"Like Moana said before, Tamika: Royce is blowing off steam because of what happened over at the ranch the other day", Elinor explains. "I doubt he _ever _meant what he said any more than what _you _did of his casino/hotel idea."

"Actually, Elinor, I _did _mean it", Tamika corrected.

This momentarily stunned the ex-DunBroch Queen.

"You…you _did?_ Why?", Elinor pressed.

"Because I _wanted _Royce to give up this hair-brained scheme of his & go back to being what he's _meant _to be: our people's witch doctor/medicine man", Tamika said. "For _years_, his parents & I have pushed him into it, but every time he rejects his duties & decides to go through with _this _instead. I just want him to _accept _his role – a role he _cannot _escape from, regardless of how he might feel about it. That's all."

Elinor offered the young Navajo female her warmest smile.

"You want to know something, Tamika?", she began. "I did a _very _similar thing to my own daughter Merida at one time: for most of her childhood, I've worked her hard to prepare for her marriage to a handsome guy when she had become of age. But like Royce, she pushed it away & wanted to do her own thing, despite my objections."

Tamika was surprised by this bit of news.

"You worked to push Merida into a forced marriage? Why would you do _that?_", she asked.

"It was an…old tradition my family had from my native Scotland", Elinor explains. "I wanted to keep that family tradition like my ancestors used to, but Merida wanted her freedom more than anything else, thus…I gave it to her."

"What made you change your mind?"

"We…had an adventure together that made us see each other in a similar yet different way. I no longer pushed Merida to marry until when & if _she's _ready, & in return she saw things from _my _perspective, some of which have even rubbed off on her. We've both been okay with it ever since."

"So, in short, I really _shouldn't _be rushing Royce into this medicine man role of his & let _him _decide when & if he's ready to take it?"

"Precisely."

Tamika took Elinor's words to heart, seeing that she went through a similar process.

Her words had an immediate impact.

"Elinor, I have something to tell you that I neglected to tell Royce as of yet", Tamika says.

"What's that, dear?", Elinor urged.

The young Navajo gave a description.

At another part of the hotel, Royce was sitting by himself, staring at the wall before him.

When the door opened, Royce was about to snap at Tamika again, but refrained when he saw it was only Merida & most everyone else. Immediately he calmed down.

"Dude…weren't you just a little bit too hard on Tamika before?", Eugene asks.

"Yeah, Royce", Rapunzel says. "Like you, Tamika's been _scared _these last few days, & for good reason. We _all _are, in fact."

"You all think _I'm _not scared? I'm _terrified_, truth be told", Royce says. "Not just for myself & my business, but _also _for Tamika…and the rest of _you_, of course."

"Then why the sudden temper tantrum at her?", Maui asked.

"Because Tamika wants me to be something I _can't_. Since I was a young boy, everybody – from my parents _and _Tamika – were always telling me on how one day I'll become the new medicine man for the Navajo. At every turn, I refused to accept it: the mines our people worked at have all but gone dry & shut down, & we needed a _miracle _to save it. _That's _why I came up with this casino & hotel – to raise the money that mining couldn't. Yet, Tamika wanted me to _abandon _it & take on a mantle & tradition that's as much a dinosaur as Sauron himself. _She _wants me to live in the _past_, whilst _I _want to look ahead to the _future_. Is that so wrong…for a man to be something better than he already is?"

The group looked to each other for a minute before Merida speaks.

"You know, Royce, my Mum Elinor put _me _through a similar faze in _my_ life as a child: she wanted me to take a _husband _once I was of age, even though I didn't _want _to, as I prefer my _freedom_."

Royce was at a brief loss of words.

"How did you manage to get _out _of that?", he asked.

"Merida would be glad to fill you in on that, Royce", Moana says. "And afterwards, _I'd _like to tell you something Tamika _said _to us which she hasn't even told _you _yet."

"Oh? And what might _that _be?"

The group smiled as Merida began.

After Tamika told Elinor what she had, both ladies walked out of the room, looking cheerier than before.

"Royce will be _so happy _when we tell him of this, Tamika!", Elinor says.

"Let _me _be the one, Elinor…if you don't mind", Tamika asks.

"Not at all."

Both ladies walk down the hall when they hear a pair of voices coming through the door only a few steps away.

They listened in to decipher whose voice each one belonged to, & it came as a shock.

"It's that rat Clyde!", Tamika whispered. "What's _he _still doing here?"

"Let's find out…along who that _other _voice belongs to!", Elinor whispered back.

Nodding, the ladies sneaked up to the door & placed their ears next to it.

Their eyes went wide when they discovered the second voice.

'Bill!', they both mouthed in silence.

Elinor & Tamika listened intently to the conversation going on in the other room.

"Don't you _see _yet, Clyde? It's _impossible _for us to keep a _lid_ on this any longer, what with _Sauron _being on the loose & all!", Bill says frantically.

"No it _isn't_, Bill!", Clyde says in defense. "We can _still _salvage something out of this mess, rampaging dinosaur or not! Royce's deadline for this hotel is at midnight this upcoming Friday night! Once he's unable to pay for what he owes, _I'll _become the owner of this place, followed by Hal's ranch! All that _you _have to do is to keep Hal & his party far & away from the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge until then!"

"And _how_, prey tell, do you expect me to accomplish _that _little miracle?"

"Use more than the usual 10% of your _brain_, Billy Boy! Surely you can _do _that, can't you? Bottom line? I don't give a snake's rear end _how _you do it…just _get it done!_"

"And what about Royce & Tamika's friends?"

"Leave _them _to _me!_"

Elinor & Tamika's eyes widened at the revelation & their blood boiled in rage.

Because of their anger, they failed to notice those behind them until they spoke.

"What are _you two _doing here?", one of them said.

Elinor & Tamika turned quickly to see Shane & several other men in black suits & shades. They tried to cry out, but hands were suddenly over their mouths to prevent any noise from escaping before they were shoved into the room & onto the floor, startling Bill & Clyde.

"Shane!", Clyde said as he & Bill rose from their seats. "I am _trying _to conduct a little _business _here! Might I ask – politely, mind you – as to the _meaning _of this here intrusion?"

"Sorry about that, boss, but we caught _these _two broads _snooping _right outside!", Shane explained. "My guess is they _heard _everything…isn't that right, ladies?"

Elinor & Tamika stared hard at the man before turning back to Clyde.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry you went & heard all that, ladies", Clyde said in his best gentleman voice. "Because _now _we've got to take you both on a little trip – one of which there won't be _any _return."

The ladies leaped up to grab Clyde, but Shane & two of his men grabbed Elinor & Tamika, holding them firmly.

No matter how hard they fought, neither could fight back or get loose.

"I _knew _you were a thieving snake, Clyde Winchester, but I _never _thought you'd sink _this _low as to go & destroy a young man's dreams!", Elinor snapped.

"And _you_, Bill: no _wonder _you were absent for most of the cleanup at the ranch, & even _before _Sauron attacked it!", Tamika said. "You've been in _cahoots _with Clyde – _behind Hal's back!_"

Bill turned away, unable to look the girls in the eye or say anything.

"It figures!", Elinor said. "Your last name fits you to a T, Bill…you _are _a slippery sidewinder!"

Clyde couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Such a charming lady you are, Elinor Fleming", he says. "Yes, I know _all _about you & your daughter & friends – well, _most _things anyway. There's still _blanks _that need to be filled in, but no worries: I can always get that from _them _once they get interrogated."

"My daughter & her friends will just as soon put you down like a _dog _before they tell you _anything!_", Elinor spat.

"Maybe they will, or maybe they won't. Either way, you both won't be around to find out." Clyde looked to his right-hand man. "Shane, be a good man & take these two on that 'little trip' I promised them."

"I know _just _the place, boss! Let's go, hon!", Shane replied, fiercely pulling Elinor along.

"You too, you little squaw!", said one man as he & his partner did the same with Tamika.

As they exited the room, the ladies tried to scream but powerful hands covered their mouths just in time.

Their resistance was useless, & they were roughly taken out of the hotel.

"A little change of plans, Bill", Clyde says. "You & I will be heading on up to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge together while Shane & the boys take care of _those _two broads."

"And their friends?", Bill wondered.

"We'll deal with _them _when the time comes. Arizona _is _in a state of quarantine on account of Sauron, & there ain't no place they can go where we can't find them. Trust me, Bill…they're not going _anywhere_. Let's move it."

Without another word, Bill followed Clyde outside.

Unbeknownst to either of them, two lone figure remained hidden & listened in on their conversation from when they stepped out of the room.

Waiting until Clyde & Bill were gone, these individuals raced off.

In the room where Royce was consulted by Merida & company, the Navajo listened intently on Merida's story, followed by Moana's piece. Both were interesting to hear, but it was the latter's that _really _grabbed his attention.

"Tamika really _does _believe that this place _can _succeed?", Royce asked. "Why didn't she _tell _me this before?"

"She was too ashamed to admit you were right, Royce", said Kristoff. "But maybe if you go to & tell her…"

"After the way I _snapped _at her before, I'm the _last _person she wants to look at, much less _talk _to, Kristoff."

Anna & Elsa came to & looked at the young Navajo with warm smiles.

"Trust me, Royce…you'd be _surprised _as to how some people are quick to forgive", Anna says, taking a quick look at her sister, remembering how Anna forgave Elsa for freezing her solid before their love thawed her out.

"Come on, Royce: you won't know for sure until you go & see her", said Maui as Moana nods.

Everyone had an encouraging face that Royce couldn't ignore. He thought that maybe he _was _a bit too harsh on his lady love before, & with Elinor currently speaking to Tamika, perhaps he _does _owe her an apology.

Along with a great-big thank you.

"Perhaps taking out my frustrations on her _was _the wrong move to make after all", Royce began. "Tell you what: have Elinor bring Tamika to me, & let _me _be the one to offer my apologies."

"No problem, Royce", Moana said. "_We'll _stay on the sidelines while you two reconcile, & perhaps afterwards…"

Maui's train of thought was interrupted when two figures crashed into the room, their faces full of fear.

"Rosie? Louis? What's wrong?", Royce asked.

"We've got ourselves a _big problem_, Mr. B!", Louis says.

"It's Tamika & Elinor! They're being _kidnapped _by Clyde's men as we speak!", Rosie cried.

This state of news put everyone on alert.

Immediately everyone rushed out of the room & headed outside as Rosie filled them in on more information. They got out in time to see Shane & his men tie Elinor & Tamika's hands behind their backs.

"_Tamika!_", Royce cried.

"_Mum!_", Merida cried.

Their appearance caught Shane & his men off-guard slightly.

"Get them inside…_quick!_", Shane barked at his men as they did so while Shane pulled out a handgun & started shooting at the group, laying down enough cover fire to get to his vehicle & drive off.

Eugene & the rest dived for cover as Pascal raced off to catch the SUV that held Tamika & Elinor. Reaching for a piece of line dangling out of the back, Pascal took hold of it just as the SUV caravan pulled out & headed southbound on the 10 Highway, taking the chameleon with it.

"_Pascal!_", Rapunzel cried out as she saw her little friend gets taken as well.

Rapunzel watched helplessly as Pascal vanished in the blink of an eye.

"It's not as bad as it looks, Rapunzel!", Merida says. "You know that collar we gave him for Christmas? It's fitted with a little tracking device! Wherever _Pascal _is…"

"We can _locate _him!", Eugene said. "Let's get the steeds ready, people…we're about to go on a _hunt!_"

"Let's get our weapons, Merida!", Elsa says.

"Copy that, Elsa!", Merida says as both ladies ran inside to get said firearms as Kristoff, Eugene & Maui got their steeds out of their mobile stables.

As Maui & Moana got on board their horse, the latter saw a worried Royce looking on.

"Don't worry, Royce: we're _going _to get Elinor _and _Tamika back, or die trying!", she says as Maui & the rest gave a reassuring nod.

Merida & Elsa reemerged as the former had her bow & quiver of arrows, with the latter having one of her guns on her right forearm.

"While we do that, Royce, get in touch with Hal & tell him _exactly _what Rosie & Louis told _us_ just now!", Merida says as she got Angus out of his stable before she & Elsa boarded her saddle.

"Let's ride, everyone!", Kristoff says as Sven took off with him & Anna on his back, followed by Maximus with Eugene & Rapunzel, Angus with Merida & Elsa, & Maui & Moana on Tamika's horse whom she named Flower.

As one, the caravan raced off to follow Shane & _his _caravan of SUVs.

Only Royce stayed behind as his horse remained in the stables, who is named Strongbow.

Lowering his head in fear & guilt, Royce mentally wished his friends the best of luck.

"It's up to _them _now, Mr. B", Louis said as the Navajo nodded. "And don't forget: _you _got your _own _task to take care of."

Louis' reminder put Royce out of his grief & back to business.

"You're right, Louis…there _is _something I need to do!", he says, heading back inside.

Once he does, he takes out his cell phone & speed-dials a number.

_The 10 Highway, Southbound:_

Pascal held on for dear life as the SUV containing Tamika, Elinor & two of Shane's goons sped down the freeway, keeping a sizable distance from the pursuing caravan behind them. The little chameleon watched as he sped across the asphalt from his literal lifeline, seeing cars pass like they were almost streaks. He flew around like a kite on a string, & he could look inside the rear window of the SUV to see Tamika & Elinor with their hands tied behind their backs, with a pair of men sitting in the seat in front of them.

The first three times Pascal lifted up & dropped out of sight from the rear window, his face was a mask of concern & surprise.

His _next _three times were of anger & hate towards the men: the first one was a sticking out of his tongue.

The second time he shook his fist at them, wanting to give them a sock in the face.

On his third time, Pascal pointed two fingers at his eyes before doing so to the men that took his friends hostage in a move actor Robert De Niro made famous before dropping out of sight again.

The two men sitting in the back seat turned towards the back window, believing they saw movement occur in the rear. All they saw was their hostages tied & secured.

"Nah", they said softly as they faced front again & shook their heads slightly.

Pascal managed to pull himself onto the rear bumper of the vehicle & used his suction feet to keep a firm grip.

He wondered where Rapunzel & the others were.

From a distance behind, Kristoff & Anna race across the highway on Sven, who runs on all burners as Maximus, Angus & Flower follow closely behind. Even though Shane's men have a good lead, the caravan gain speed on their steeds as their hooves clack across the pavement, never losing their balance or losing velocity.

In a minivan just ahead of them, a family of three – husband, wife & young daughter – traveled on the freeway as the daughter caught sight of Sven & his party.

"Look, mommy, daddy – a _reindeer!_", she says excitedly.

Her parents chuckle amusingly.

"It's _way _too early for Christmas, Doris", her father said.

"Besides, reindeer are usually seen in _northern _areas, where it's cool – not in _this _heat", her mother said.

A second or two after she spoke, Sven approached & passed through the family on the right.

"Excuse us!", Kristoff & Anna called out.

Doris' parents stared wide-eyed at the reindeer that passed by, followed by the other animals.

"Coming through!", Elsa & Merida call out, racing on Angus.

"Just passing by!", Maui & Moana call out on Flower.

"Hey folks! How you doin'?", Eugene said, flashing a toothy grin & pointing as Rapunzel smiled & waved.

Maximus gave the family a quick smile before racing off.

Doris' parents watched in stunned silence as the caravan gain a sizable distance ahead.

Doris herself smiled cheerfully, enjoying the spectacle.

Picking up more speed, the caravan follow the SUVs to wherever they're taking their hostages.

_Hold tight, Tamika, Mum…we're coming to get you!_, Merida thought.

Her thoughts were shared by everyone else.

_The Robbins Butte Game Preserve:_

As Hal was preparing for another day of sifting through the ruins of his ranch, he received a buzz on his cell. As he fished it out & checked the number, he saw it was Royce & answered immediately as the Navajo explained to him of the situation over at the hotel.

The revelation made his blood boil, but he kept his composure as Daphne watched.

"I understand, Royce, so please don't be blaming yourself…you couldn't have known", Hal said. "You, Merida & their friends just do whatever you must to go get Tamika & Elinor back safely. And don't you worry none about Bill Sidewinder & Clyde Winchester – _we'll _be taking care of _them _soon enough!"

Hal hung up before Royce could say anything more.

"Bill & Clyde?", Daphne said. "Could that _possibly _mean that those two…"

"Have been in cahoots with each other behind all our backs", Hal finished. "I'm afraid so, honey: whether we'll accept it or not, we have a _traitor _in our midst! Their men kidnapped Tamika & Elinor, & now Bill & Clyde are heading over to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge! We need to find out _why!_"

Daphne picked up her rifle & cocked it.

"Let's get the boys armed & ready to ride, darling!", she said.

Hal nodded & went to do just that.

_Along the 10 Highway:_

Before taking off after his friends, Royce rushed to put in a metal box in the back of his pickup truck before going up to his office & grabbed the bag which contained his medicine man gear – the same bag Tamika placed in his closet once she moved in, much to his dismay. Royce wanted more than anything to simply _ditch _the bag & its contents, but she was rather persistent.

Royce ceased arguing & kept the bag in the closet, if only to humor her.

The current situation was anything _but _humorous, & Royce will do _whatever _it takes to get her back.

Even if it means stepping into a role he worked so hard to avoid like the plague.

_Hold on, Tamika…I'm coming for you, baby!_, he thought, hugely regretting their early quarrel.

Royce stepped on the gas & didn't spare the horses.

Overhead, the dark clouds grew & spread as small patches of lightning started forming.

_The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge:_

Hal & Daphne didn't waste any time getting the others rounded up to explain their current situation: each of them were just as irate & furious over the sudden betrayal of Bill Sidewinder, & they immediately geared up on weapons & ammunition & other essentials before getting their horses & taking off for the Wildlife Refuge. Even going as quick as they could, the posse reached their destination in a few hours: an area that was mostly hills, with patches of green shrubs everywhere. A large circular canyon reaching a height of 20 to 40 meters in height at places & a circumference of over 200 meters was created during Indian times, used as a fortress when the Navajo was under attack by enemies.

On this day, it was used by Bill Sidewinder & his band of men from the government – all of who work for Clyde Winchester, who arrived first as Bill put in a call to his people to go arm themselves & get ready for Hal Jenkins & his men upon arrival.

They punctuate their position by firing several shots in the direction of Hal's posse as they come to an immediate stop, the bullets missing them by inches. Everyone readied their guns as Hal & company see Bill Sidewinder approach on his horse, along with several other men on horseback.

Each one – including Bill – aimed guns at Hal's posse.

"Easy, folks", Hal warned, raising a hand. "Let's see if we can avoid a fight. If Bill & his troupe want to just talk, we should hear him out. But if he makes a false move, _then _we'll give him a fight!"

"I wouldn't advise getting into a fight you can't win, Hal!", Bill said, pointing to the circular canyon behind him. "Clyde & I have several men at many different areas from that canyon, & they can shoot the whole lot of you easily if a word is given!"

"So, you _admit _it…you _have _been working with Clyde for quite a while now! I should have realized: those times you were absent for long periods, appearing & disappearing on a whim, I always _wondered _where you'd sneak off to, Bill, but I would've _never _believed it'd be to the man who wants nothing better than to _ruin_ my business so that he can come & take it over for himself! What's more, he's kidnapped Royce's lady love & a good friend of ours to prove just how far he'll go to _get _what he wants!"

"We should've realized, Hal: Clyde was _still _after our ranch even after _we _bought it fair & square!", Daphne adds.

"How true, honey: a man like Clyde Winchester _is _capable of holding a grudge for a long time!"

"Clyde only wanted what was rightfully his, Hal!", Bill said. "What _you_ call as 'fair & square', _Clyde _calls it like it is…stealing! You shouldn't have stolen his property, so you & your friends all need to pay the price! Now I'm only giving you this _one _warning: tell your wife & your posse to drop your guns _now_, Hal…_before _I forget you & I were _friends _once!"

"Bill, we stopped _being_ friends the _moment_ I found out you were in _cahoots_ with Clyde, & he & blood money became your _new _best friends! If you believe _any _of us are going to lay down our weapons so that you & your band can pick us off one at a time, then you're a _bigger _fool than Clyde is…and that's _saying _something!"

"Besides, I don't think you got the _nerve _to shoot at any of us, Bill…_including _Hal!", Daphne put in.

Bill points his gun directly at Daphne's head. The cowgirl doesn't show an inch of fear.

"How much are you willing to _bet _on that, Daphne?", Bill says, cocking the hammer back. "Put that rifle of yours down…or I'll splatter those brains out of your head, & I would _hate_ to have to mess up your pretty face!"

For Hal, Bill crossed the line: betraying him, Daphne & the rest of his posse was bad enough.

But threatening the love of his life? _That _was the final straw!

In the blink of an eye, Hal shot at Bill's gun which was knocked out of his hand & sent flying.

Afterwards, all pandemonium broke loose.

"_Big _mistake, Hal! _Let 'em have it, men!_", Bill shouted, scrambling to get himself out of the line of fire.

"_Everyone scatter!_", Hal & Daphne shouted as their posse did just that before the shooting commenced, as bullets barely missed hitting them.

As Bill & his men retreated to the safety of the canyon, Hal & Daphne's people lay down cover fire of their own in order to give themselves some time to take cover.

It just became a real showdown!

_The Tohono O'Odham Nation Reservation, the remains of Spearhead:_

Shane & his caravan traveled the Arizona landscape for hours, wanting to find a nice quiet place to do away with Elinor & Tamika, both of whom were still tied in the back of the last SUV, wondering where they were going.

One thing was for sure – it wasn't going to be at a place filled with people, where anyone can witness them getting disposed of.

Being the wife of Gus Fleming, however, didn't mean that Elinor was going to make it easy for them: during the ride, she'd started to stealthily sneak her hand into her boot to retract the small knife she concealed to help cut through the rope she & Tamika were tied with. Elinor had to be careful not to get caught, as those sitting in front of them checked on them constantly to make sure they didn't try to resist or fight their way out. The knife was only 2 inches long, but is sharper than a razor blade & can cut through even the thickest ropes with ease.

Waiting until the right moment, she started cutting through her binds before beginning on Tamika's.

Driving the lead SUV, Shane takes a look at the town of Spearhead they were quickly approaching.

Or what was _left _of it: buildings of all shapes & sizes were mostly reduced to rubble & debris of wood, stone & glass were lying everywhere, & a good portion of the vehicles got smashed beyond recognition; some looked flattened like pancakes, as if crushed from above by a powerful force.

Just a few vehicles remained intact but were soiled by dust.

Getting closer, the devastation was even more ghastly.

Plus, nobody saw a living soul anywhere, from women & children to the family dog.

It looked like a regular ghost town.

Even Shane & his men got the willies just by staring at it.

"I wonder what happened to _this _place", Shane says. "Looks like a _tornado _ran through it."

"We don't _get _those, Shane!", his passenger said, the fear evident in his voice. "It _had _to be _Sauron_: he's still _out there_, don't forget!"

"I haven't forgotten _anything_, okay?! Look, even if that T-Rex _did _cause all this, then he's probably long gone by now! It just makes _our _job of disposing those two broads easier, especially since there doesn't seem to be anybody around to _witness_ anything!"

"One guess as to _why _there ain't any!"

"Will you stop it already?! You're making _me _jumpy, & that storm brewing isn't helping my _mood _any, so just keep it together until we get the job done! _I _want to be away from here as much as _you _do, believe me!"

At that moment, Shane's walkie-talkie came to life & he answered.

"What is it?", he asked into the receiver.

"_We've got _company_, Shane!_", it replied. "_Several people coming at us from the northeast, each one riding three horses…and a _reindeer_!_"

That revelation meant only one thing to Shane.

"Those _friends _of our two hostages must be trying to _rescue _them! Why didn't you _see them coming _until now?!", Shane barked.

"_Wasn't _our _fault, boss: traveling through the desert lands kicked up a lot of dust, limiting our visibility!_", said a man. "_We could barely _follow _you, let alone watch for any pursuers!_"

Shane mentally counted to ten, soothing his anger before he spoke again.

"Well, now that they _are _visible, _take care _of them!", he snapped. "Head straight for & use the town itself to help give you leverage as you pick them off, but remember…_none _of them makes it out of this area _alive! _You understand?!"

"_Copy that, boss!_", he replied before signing off.

Pressing on the gas, the SUV caravan head directly for town, now only over a minute away.

From their position, Kristoff & his group can see what Shane & his boys are planning.

"Kristoff, if those men head into that town, we could _lose _them!", Anna said.

"Or more precisely, Anna, they want to set an _ambush_…for _us!_", he corrected.

Kristoff's thinking was in parallel with Maui & Eugene's.

"Elsa, those men want to use that town to lure us into an ambush & pick us off!", Maui shouted.

"We can't _let _them! We need a barrier…_quick!_", Eugene cried out.

"One barrier coming right up, Eugene!", Elsa replied.

Aiming her right arm which is fitted with one of her guns, she shoots forth a stream of her ice that rushed past the SUV caravan & forms a wall of thick ice 20 feet from Shane's vehicle. The government man slammed on the brakes as his vehicle kicked up a cloud of dust, followed by the other SUVs, each taken by surprise by this unexpected turn of events. Each vehicle barely missed hitting one another, much less Elsa's ice wall.

By that time, Elinor was done cutting through her & Tamika's ropes, & their door of opportunity has now opened.

It was now or never.

"_Now, Tamika!_", Elinor shouted, driving her knife into the shoulders of the two men in front while Tamika opened up the rear door & got out, with Elinor following seconds later. Pascal hopped on Elinor's shoulder.

The men that got stabbed cried out in pain as their shoulders bled.

Both the driver & passenger exited the vehicle, guns drawn.

From where Merida & her friends could see, two lone figures were emerging from the dust cloud that obscured Shane's rides & men.

It was a happy sight for them all to witness.

"_Mum!_", Merida cried.

"_Tamika!_", the others shouted.

Both ladies ran towards their would-be saviors as Merida hopped off Angus & ran towards Elinor.

The ladies embraced while the rest did the same with Tamika.

"I was so _scared_, Mum: I never thought I'd _see _you again!", Merida said. "How _did _you & Tamika escape?"

"I managed to pack one of Gus' special blades for our trip!", Elinor says. "You know…just in case!"

Merida grinned at the revelation.

"Pretty resourceful _thinking _there, Mum!", she says.

"Well, I've had a pretty good _teacher_, dear…_two _of them, in fact!", Elinor said, grinning back.

Mother & daughter shared a giggle as Pascal crawled around Merida before going back to Rapunzel.

"Are you okay, Tamika? They didn't _hurt _you or Elinor much, did they?", Rapunzel asked.

"No, Rapunzel", Tamika said. "The ride _was _rough & we _did _get bumped around by it, but neither of us were seriously hurt, if that's what you're worried about."

"Speaking of being worried, those guys _will _be coming after us, now that we've been made & their hostages got away!", Maui says.

"I agree with Maui!", Moana said, peering over at the town. "Since they were going to use the town as a means to ambush _us_…"

"_We _can use it to ambush _them!_", the all said in unison.

Their train of thought was cut off by Shane's booming voice.

"There they are! _Bring them down!_", he shouted once they were clear of the swirl of dust.

In a blinding instant, Elsa aimed her gun & fired between Shane's men & her friends, creating a solid wall of ice which blocked their bullets in the nick of time.

It was only a temporary solution, & they all knew it.

"This won't help us for long!", Tamika said. "In moments, they're going to go around this ice wall & finish us off!"

"We don't plan on _staying _behind it, Tamika!", said Anna, helping Elsa put on her other gun on her left forearm. "Listen: my sister's going to create another ice wall that will serve as a protective shield as we head to town! Once we _get _there, we'll deal with these creeps on _our _terms!"

"But unlike Elsa & Merida, we don't have any _weapons!_", Tamika said.

"We _will_, Tamika!", Rapunzel said. "My friends & I can _make _weapons out of just about _anything _we can get our hands on!"

"Trust us, Tamika!", Eugene says. "Like the saying goes, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure'!"

Seeing no time to argue, the Navajo nodded.

"Angus, you stay with Elsa & me!", Merida says to the Clydesdale, who nods with a neigh.

"The rest of you…when I say…", Elsa says, aiming her left forearm gun. "_Go!_"

At the word 'go', Elsa shot forth more of her ice in a wall that lead straight into the ruins of Spearhead. Kristoff, Sven & the rest ran off while this wall was being formed, giving them solid protection as they rushed forward.

They made it into the ruined town in record time.

_Well done, friends!_, Elsa thought happily.

Sounds of metal clicking caught her & Merida's attention, & the two listened intently on it.

Merida recognized it, & her heart raced – it was the sound of a rocket launcher being set up & loaded.

"Elsa, Angus…_move!_", Merida cried, urging her horse & friend to get away from the ice wall.

Two seconds later, the sound of a rocket firing & an explosion occurred, the blast shattering a good portion of Elsa's ice wall. Despite being a distance away, the blast's force was still strong enough to throw the Clydesdale & both girls several feet forward, each one landing with a thud.

Hitting the ground hard jarred their bodies & made them numb.

Seeing Elsa, Merida & Angus getting thrown made Elinor & company gasp & feeling helpless, as there was not a thing they could do.

From behind, Elsa & Merida could hear laughter as they turn to see Shane & his men staring down, aiming their guns at them.

All Elsa & Merida could do was stare daggers back, & Angus was in no condition to get up at the moment.

Even if he did, he'd be shot down like _they _were about to.

"It was a nice attempt at a rescue, pretty ladies, we'll grant you that!", Shane said, grinning fiendishly. "But you only delayed the inevitable: once we find your friends, we're going to kill them all slowly & painfully until they _beg _us to do them in quick! As for _you _two…we'll just put a bullet in your heads, along with your horse! So…any last words?"

Merida & Elsa gave them none. Only cold, hard stares were _their _answer.

"Suit yourselves, girls!", Shane resumed. "Boys, on the count of three! One…two…"

A powerful rumbling emanating from the ground caught everyone's attention, making those standing wobble on their feet before Elsa's ice wall began cracking & broke apart like it was cheap plaster. A large plume of dirt erupted 160 meters away, throwing chunks of earth & some greenery everywhere. Assailants & resisters alike all dodged each piece as they landed with sledgehammer force. Angus regained his senses in time to avoid getting buried under a mound of earth as Elsa & Merida gathered their weapons & hopped upon his saddle.

From out of this earth pile rose a familiar horror that struck the Robbins Butte Game Preserve ranch only three days ago, & has reemerged once again.

"Sauron!", they all said to themselves.

In the quickly darkening skies above, thunder cracked with a boisterous boom.

The 60-meter tall Tyrannosaurus' roar was even louder.

**CHAPTER VIII**

_The ruins of Spearhead:_

As ghastly as he was in the evening or even daylight, Sauron was more terrifying beneath a stormy sky as thunder boomed & flashed, giving his appearance an eerie look as he shook off excess dirt from his yellow hide like a groggy bear awakening from a long hibernation.

Both Shane & Elsa's parties looked up at the fearsome Tyrannosaurus, staring at him like he was the Phoenix of fable that rose from the ashes. Each surmised that Sauron _was_ responsible for the destruction of Spearhead & all missing people: they also guessed that the dinosaur dug himself into the ground as some lizards do to avoid being detected by overhead surveillance & the like. He then waited patiently for any unsuspecting prey heading in his direction, waiting for the perfect time to rise & strike.

That time was now, & both human predators & prey were to become Sauron's next meals.

Rearing his head back again, Sauron unleashed another blaring roar that was in conjunction with a bang of thunder which lit up the ground like a flickering light bulb.

It was this that motivated Shane to make his move: running like a scared rabbit, he bolted for the nearest SUV & got behind the wheel. Shaking uncontrollably, Shane put it into gear & made a U-turn before stepping on the gas to be anywhere but near the 60-meter tall prehistoric menace.

In his panic, he almost ran down his own men, who barely jumped out of the way in time.

They cried his name as he made his retreat.

"He left us…he _left _us…", said one man in disbelief.

Only moments ago, Shane was a tough guy who kidnapped two ladies & was ready to kill Elsa, Merida & Angus where they lay.

Now he was blubbering like a baby, having met a menace even greater than him.

Attracted by the sound & movement of the SUV, Sauron watched it go several dozen meters before snapping at it & making a mighty leap on two powerful legs. Everybody watched in stunning spectacle as Sauron closed the distance in a heartbeat, crashing into the ground & causing it to rumble.

It also caused Shane's ride to do a flip in the air & come down on its side, jarring the man & throwing him in the vehicle. Had he worn his seat belt, he'd remain in the driver's seat.

Even on his side, Shane got a good look at Sauron as the dinosaur opened his maw & came at him.

Like a howling banshee, Shane screamed in terror at the top of his lungs as Sauron seized his vehicle & lifted it up from the ground. The government man's cries could be heard even from the town before they got cut off with but a snapping of Sauron's jaws, crushing the SUV & silencing Shane forever.

What remained of the vehicle dropped to the ground in a mangled wreck.

Sauron roared again, having claimed another victim.

He then turned towards the rest of Shane's men, & even that of Elsa & Merida.

Letting out a growl, the Tyrannosaur made his way in their direction.

Immediately, the men began firing their weapons – from machine guns to shotguns & even rocket launcher – at the oncoming horror as they let out a battle cry, praying it's enough to drop the beast.

Merida & Elsa knew better: once they started their assault on Sauron, the two hopped aboard Angus & made their way to the town, knowing the fate of Shane's men as being a foregone conclusion.

They were proved correct: in moments the men were picked off one by one by the Tyrannosaur as Sauron bit on each man's midsection, tossed them up & swallowed them whole. He even caught two in one attempt.

Every man died screaming in terror before entering the dinosaur's hungry maw.

One man was knocked away & fell upon his back, crawling backwards like a crab until Sauron turned his attention onto him. The terrified man shook his head & waved his hands in a plead for his life, his face stained with tears.

But Sauron was not to be bargained with or denied.

Like all of his comrades, the last of Shane's men shared the same fate, disappearing into the dinosaur's open maw & down his gullet. And like all his other comrades, he screamed the entire time.

Moana & the other girls had to turn away: criminals or not, it was a horrific fate for anyone to endure.

They couldn't help but to have a pang of sympathy for them.

By that time, Angus arrived with his two riders as they regroup with their friends.

"We thought you three were goners for sure, sis!", Anna said, embracing Elsa once she stepped down.

"Not to dampen the mood, but we _still _might be!", Tamika said. "Sauron's got us _trapped _in this town, & we dare not make a _break_ for it, lest _we_ get picked off like those men were!"

"I must admit that Tamika is _correct!_", Elinor says. "Fast as they are, even our steeds wouldn't be able to outrun Sauron before he snatches up & consumes us!"

"Then we need to make a stand here!", Merida says. "My Mum's right about Sauron in not letting us escape this place, so we deal with him first!"

"How?!", Tamika asks. "We couldn't even beat him over at the _ranch!_"

"Merida & I will think of something, Tamika!", Elsa said. "In the meantime, get to a safe place & stay hidden as best you can – all of you!"

Tamika wanted to object further, but Anna stepped in.

"No, Tamika: scared as _I _get when Elsa goes out on a mission, I remember that it's her _job!_ She's been made as a member of the Mechagodzilla crew by a late friend of ours because he _knew _she could do the job – a fact she proved more than once!"

"Same with my Merida!", Elinor puts in. "I _always _worry when she goes on missions either by herself _or _with her father Gus, but I remain strong because I have _faith _in her _and _her abilities! Young as she is, she's _very _resourceful & knows how to handle herself in dangerous situations!"

Tamika looked to Elsa & Merida as they nodded, armed & ready to go.

"And we don't have any more time to _argue _the matter, Tamika!", Moana says, pointing to Sauron.

Everyone turned to the Tyrannosaurus, who was turning in their direction.

"Hide…_quick!_", Eugene said as everyone but Elsa, Merida & Angus ran off & took better shelter to stay out of Sauron's sight. Elsa & her party did the same, but going in the opposite direction of their friends. Sauron's footsteps got louder & closer as he approached the town, ready to find more nourishment.

As the Tyrannosaur entered the town, buildings that suffered damage get razed further by Sauron's feet & tail as he swept through the ruins to locate the _other _humans & their animals like he did Shane & his men. Keeping a sharp eye out, Sauron looked for any signs of movement as he trampled through the desolate town mostly devoid of life.

The clouds in the skies above were getting darker, making the area look more like night than a bright afternoon day. For a few minutes, Sauron could find no trace of his prey: his left foot suddenly came crashing down right next to a partially-damaged building where Tamika & company were taking refuge in. The vibration from the stomp shook the bodies of everyone but they remained still & silent, not daring to make a sound: the building only had three walls & a roof that concealed them from the beast, if barely.

In their chests, their hearts palpitated madly as they were scared; their faces stained with tears as Kristoff, Eugene, Maui & Elinor held the others close, praying that Sauron doesn't think to look downward. Even Maximus & Sven were scared, lying on the floor & shaking with trepidation, & Flower was barely able to hold it together & stay silent. Elinor was right: they would _never _be able to escape Sauron at all if they tried to run.

Neither of them dared to make even a whimper.

Same went for Pascal, who turned yellow & hid in Rapunzel's hair.

Sauron found no trace of the humans that escaped his reach, but he has other methods to find prey: sniffing the air around him, he could smell not only the stench of the approaching storm, but also of two different scents that became familiar to him. He caught them once before only days ago when he caused havoc at the ranch, & he did so here in this wasteland of a town.

He could tell they were close by.

_Very _close by.

Letting out a roar, Sauron turned to where his nose lead him as another bolt of thunder lit up the nimbus-covered sky. His tail was only inches over the hiding place of Maui & company, barely missing wiping them away.

In another abandoned building, Elsa, Merida & Angus took refuge as they eyed Sauron; seeing the dinosaur only inches from their friends made their hearts hammer in their chests. When they see the dinosaur sniffing the air & turning in their direction, their fears escalate as does Angus', for he could tell that danger was approaching.

Merida did what she could to keep him as quiet as possible.

"You remember back at the ranch, Elsa?", Merida said softly.

"I most certainly do, Merida", Elsa replied.

"He's caught our scent!", they said in unison to each other.

Knocking over whatever stood in his way, Sauron was quickly approaching where Elsa & Merida's scents were at their strongest. He remembered the hurting they both gave him at the ranch on their last encounter, & he vowed to repay them by devouring each one in the most horrible way possible.

In their hiding place, Elsa raised & aimed her guns at the wall & ceiling, ready to fire her ice the second Sauron came into view: the dinosaur will probably plow away what remained of the building to get to them, & that's when the Snow Queen will strike.

Not content with Elsa going at it alone, Merida also prepared herself by getting an electric bow ready & aimed in the very same spot Elsa did.

Sauron was now only several steps away from locating his prey, his footsteps becoming louder by each second.

A trio of roars caught the dinosaur's attention just as he got within striking distance: like everyone else, Sauron turned to the sound to find a pair of gigantic hominoid creatures & a dinosaur-like creature. The two hominoids were alike yet different: one had green hair covering its body & stood 50 meters tall, while the other had brown hair & stood 60 meters tall, same as Sauron. The dinosaur creature was smaller than both, reaching a height of 40 meters & sporting a flesh hue of light-medium green & having claws on each of its four-toed/fingered feet & hands. It had a feral head & a mouth with sharp teeth; on its back were small jagged bumps that were the start of dorsal spines.

Getting themselves to a better location, everyone could see the new arrivals that bring surprising relief.

"Gaira!", Merida says.

"Sanda!", Elinor says.

"Junior!", Elsa, Anna & Kristoff say.

"What are _they _doing here?", Tamika wondered.

"Just like Mothra did, they must've known about Sauron by instinct & followed the trail!", Maui said.

"But whatever the reason is, let's just be glad they _are _here, Tamika!", Moana said.

Gaira, Sanda & Godzilla Junior gave Sauron taunting growls & roars, goading the dinosaur into a fight. Sauron gave indifferent as he bellowed roars & growls of his own, saying he was more than ready to accept their challenge.

For the three new arrivals, it was a new enemy to defeat.

But to Sauron, all _he _saw was food – _plenty _of food to help satisfy his ravenous appetite, which will fill his tummy _much_ better than the humans he feasted on.

Another thunderous lightning boom cracked the early afternoon sky as Sauron blared a roar & charged at the new creatures that were to be his prey.

On his way over, the sky unleashed a torrential downpour as it began raining cats & dogs, turning areas into mud piles & thunder still boomed from above.

Even in the heavy rains, the group could see the battle clearly.

Running in a speed which belied his size, Sauron raced after Junior with his jaws open, ready to take a chunk of flesh from his hide as he was the smallest of the three. The Tyrannosaurus was about to discover that Junior was anything but helpless: Godzilla's young protégé shot forth his heat ray from his mouth, striking Sauron in the chest that caused the T-Rex to cry out in pain & surprise. Junior kept up his assault until Gaira came in & tackled the dinosaur hard like a football linebacker, bringing him to the muddy ground. Literally grounding his enemy, Gaira started punching Sauron in the face & main body to bring the dinosaur into unconsciousness; each punch Sauron received was like being hit by a rock, & he was in terrible danger of slipping _into _unconsciousness.

Were that to happen, this fight would be over before it even started.

Sauron had no intention of losing this brawl: whipping his tail around, he slaps Gaira in the back of his head with as much strength as he could muster, stunning him briefly. It was all that Sauron needed: acting quickly, the dinosaur bit down on Gaira's left forearm that made the green Gargantua cry out & batter the back of his head.

No matter how hard he punched, Sauron wouldn't let go of his prey.

In a move that caught Gaira off-guard, Sauron got to his feet & spun his enemy once before releasing him from his vice-like grip. The momentum carried Gaira over to Junior, as both monsters collided into each other & tumbled to the ground.

Paying attention to Gaira & Junior left Sauron open & vulnerable to an attack by Sanda, who did so with a flying kick to the dinosaur's face that sent him sprawling across the muddy desert. Sanda didn't rush in to attack further, for he knew better than to be tricked into what could be a sneak attack if he got too close. Instead, he growled angrily at the Tyrannosaur, getting it good & mad. Sauron rose to his feet & stared back at Sanda, who spread his arms & continued barking growls to dare his foe to make a move. Approaching Sanda like a panther about to strike its prey, Sauron came closer to his target as Sanda kept a watchful eye on the T-Rex, carefully monitoring any sudden moves.

Getting within 30 meters, Sauron stops & unleashes a blaring roar as lightning boomed in the sky.

Sanda did the same, raising his arms & ready to take on his foe.

It was the opening Sauron waited for: lowering his cranium, he leaped at Sanda & struck him in his midsection, butting him as a wild ram would to an enemy. Sanda was knocked flat on his back, the wind escaping from his lungs. Pressing his advantage, Sauron stepped on Sanda's chest & held him down before opening his maw to tear a chunk of his flesh. Sanda gave him no chance: while he did have trouble getting air back into his lungs, the brown hominoid was as alert as ever & grabbed Sauron by the throat with his left hand & his upper jaw with his right. Like an animal that's wounded or fierce with hunger, Sauron fought to get meat in his jaws while Sanda fought to keep them away.

No clear winner could be seen, & each increased his attempts that only made the struggle more frantic.

Sanda could feel Sauron's hot breath on his face, & the stench of it made him disgusted.

Recovering from the hit before, Godzilla Junior fired his heat ray at Sauron's back, causing the dinosaur to roar in anguish & release the pressure on Sanda. The brown hominoid creature struck quickly by buffeting Sauron smack dab in the face with a powerful right fist which sent him reeling. He followed it up by jumping onto his back, wrapping his left arm around his throat & rode him like a wild buck as Sauron attempted to shake him off.

His attempts failed, & Sanda put further pressure on Sauron's throat to cut off his breathing passages.

This only made Sauron more desperate: as Sanda gave Junior a hand signal to fire his heat ray directly at Sauron, the Tyrannosaurus swiveled 180 degrees just as Godzilla Junior shot forth his weapon. The projectile hit Sanda in the back instead of his intended target, scorching Sanda's back & forcing him to release his grip on Sauron.

He was rewarded by a grab & throw like he did with Gaira, sending him soaring through the air & landing hard onto the muddy landscape. Godzilla Junior tried rectifying his error by firing his heat ray at Sauron once again, but the T-Rex dodged the hit by making a leap & landed his feet on Junior's chest. Godzilla's protégé was knocked backwards & fell to his side. Before he could recover, Sauron came up to & bit down on Junior's left side, between his arm & leg.

With a mighty yank of his head, Sauron tore off a piece of Junior's flesh & feasted upon it.

Junior cried in pain: it was a small piece, but it still hurt like the devil.

Elsa & company gasped at the horrific display, fearing for the young monster.

Having enjoyed the taste of Junior's flesh, Sauron attempted to take another bite out of him but was struck by the young monster's heat ray as he gets buffeted in the chest & knocked back on his feet, the heat scorching his flesh. The yellow-skinned dinosaur bellowed in pain as his chest smoked from Junior's weapon, the anguish nearly making him collapse.

But _not _enough to be taken by surprise: Gaira & Sanda ran towards their prehistoric enemy in a double-team ploy to take him down, but Sauron caught on & jumped back to avoid getting clobbered. The gargantuan siblings then get on either side of the T-Rex to try & split his attention in order to make a surprise assault: while one tries getting closer, the other makes it in for the hit.

Junior watched the action from afar, wishing he could assist his two partners in the fight.

Sadly, Sanda was in his line of fire & didn't want to repeat his mistake moments ago.

All Junior can do is wait for the right time to strike.

Keeping a close eye on both gargantuan siblings, Sauron waited until they decided to attack.

In thirty seconds, they did: Gaira & Sanda charged their enemy as one before Sauron did a 360 degree spin in a move that got his foes swatted by his powerful tail, beating them onto the ground & causing them to see stars in their visions. Junior took this as his chance to strike & assist: firing his heat ray directly at Sauron's face, the T-Rex dodged the projectile before running off. Junior followed Sauron with his weapon, scorching the wet ground but never hitting his primary target. The landscape was getting devastated by Junior's weapon, causing earth to flare up & explode.

Fortunately, it was directed _away _from the town ruins, otherwise it would've been devastated even quicker & lots more deadlier than when Sauron attacked.

But like Elsa with her ice, Godzilla Junior was no more successful in hitting Sauron than she was: the Tyrannosaur circled around & made his way back to the young monster.

It was a maneuver the Snow Queen & Scottish princess recognized, & she & Merida cried out to Junior.

Much to their dismay, Junior couldn't hear their warnings, & Sauron reached Junior by doing an airborne flip in which caught Godzilla's protégé by surprise. The prehistoric creature landed directly behind Junior & grabbed his tail in his jaws before the young monster could react: with swiftness that defies logic, Sauron swings Junior by the tail & body-slams him to the ground, shaking it with tremendous force. Sauron does this several times to Junior, each hit more powerful than the last.

Junior cried out with every hit, & his vision was beginning to go dark.

Witnessing Junior receive such punishment made Elsa's heart ache, along with everyone else's.

Gaira & Sanda recovered in time to see Sauron attacking Junior by grabbing his tail & literally bashing him to the ground repeatedly. Rushing in to help their young partner, the gargantuan siblings were clobbered by Junior when Sauron swung him around before tossing him like he was nothing more than a bag of disposable waste.

Godzilla Junior fought to stay conscious & lost.

The attack on Gaira & Sanda _did _catch them off-guard, but didn't stop or slow them down: they were both back on their feet in no time & ready to do further battle with the yellow-skinned saurian. Both siblings bellowed angry roars, with Sauron doing likewise before lunging forward to take a bite out of the green Gargantua. Gaira dodged the attempt as he missed the deadly teeth by inches & counterattacked with a powerful left jab to the side of Sauron's head which made _him _see stars briefly. Sanda added to the melee by bashing Sauron with a double-fist attack on his head before the brown hominoid creature lifted the Tyrannosaurus over his head & threw him over 100 meters away.

Sauron landed with an earth-shattering thud.

Not wanting to give him time to recover, Gaira & Sanda charged their enemy while he was down.

Unfortunately, the dinosaur was far more resilient than even _they _imagined: halfway through, Sauron jumped on his feet & stared at his two bothersome enemies, who stopped short & stared back in hatred & wonder at how he was on fighting stance so quickly.

Both gargantuan siblings & saurian growled in loathsome volumes.

Each combatant eyed their opponents as Sauron swished his tail behind him like a snake, waiting to see who'll be the one to make a move.

After a minute of inactivity, Sauron decides to be the one to act: leaping up to a height of 70 meters in the blink of an eye, the Tyrannosaurus puts his entire weight into his 'earthquake stomp' maneuver that shakes the earth toward opponents which knocks them off their feet. It was one of these maneuvers that allowed for Sauron to triumph over Talon when they quarreled over a century-&-a-half ago.

Today, it gets used on Gaira & Sanda, as both siblings were airlifted & thrown by surprise.

Both hominoids crash-land on their sides, the impact causing numbness in their bodies.

Not giving them a chance to rise up, Sauron jumped onto Gaira & planted both feet onto his side & head before doing the same with Sanda, putting them out of commission just like Junior.

Having vanquished his foes, Sauron roared in triumph.

Rapunzel & company were devastated by the defeat of both gargantuan siblings _and _Godzilla Junior by a mere dinosaur.

_Then again, if _Mothra _could be defeated by this prehistoric refugee, then what chance did those three have against him?_, Moana thought dreadfully.

Looking down at his defeated foes, Sauron was having trouble deciding who to devour & feast on first: should he begin on the green one first or the brown one?

He suddenly remembered having a taste of Godzilla Junior's flesh during their scuffle: it was quite a delicacy, & Sauron craved more of it as Junior's flesh had a distinctive flavor he couldn't resist.

Facing his next objective, Sauron heads towards Junior.

"Is he heading where I really _think _he's heading?", Anna asks.

"I'm afraid so, Anna!", says Rapunzel.

Merida & Elsa also see the scenario.

"Sauron's going to make a _meal _out of _Junior_, Elsa!", Merida says.

"That's what _he _thinks, Merida! Let's ride!", Elsa said as both ladies board Angus & race out into the pouring rain.

Their plight didn't go unnoticed.

"Elsa? Merida? What are _they _doing, riding out there in this storm?", Tamika wondered.

"Off to lend Gaira, Sanda _and_ Godzilla Junior a hand!", said Kristoff.

"They're not doing it alone, Kristoff!", Eugene said. "Max…go to them!"

Maximus nodded quickly & took off like a shot to catch up with the MG crew member & redhead agent.

Her guns in place, Elsa aimed & shot forth a stream of ice at Sauron, who continued in making his way towards Godzilla Junior to strip the young monster's flesh clean off his bones.

_Not in _this _lifetime you won't, Sauron!_, Elsa thought as her ice struck the Tyrannosaur in the back of his left leg, freezing it in place.

When Sauron looked down to witness his leg in a block of ice that was stuck to the ground, his entire head gets encased in ice by Elsa from her opposite gun. The ice obscured Sauron's vision & clogs his breathing passages, causing the Tyrannosaurus to writhe around wildly until he gets his leg free & slams his head to the ground, smashing the ice he was encased in. Taking in a sniff of air into his nostrils, he once more caught a pair of familiar scents.

He looked over to see the white-haired & red-haired female humans in the vicinity, riding on a single horse with black & white fur. They were now joined by another horse in ivory-white fur & light-yellow mane.

Maximus arrived to lend his assistance, whom Elsa gets upon.

Sauron's loathing for these two female humans was growing more with each passing moment: he remembers the pain they gave him with their ice & electrical attacks a few days ago, & a burning hatred still stirred within the T-Rex.

The saurian bellowed a blaring roar.

"It looks like Sauron _still _has an intense mad-on for us both, Merida!", Elsa says.

"I've got no _problem _with that, Elsa…because the feeling is _more _than mutual!", Merida says, readying her bow.

The Tyrannosaurus charged at his two targeted prey.

"_Scatter!_", Merida & Elsa cried as they split up with Angus & Maximus going full throttle.

When Sauron saw them going in opposite directions, he quickly chose which one to chase first.

He picked Elsa.

Opening his hungry maw, Sauron lunged at the Snow Queen to gobble her & Maximus up in one bite.

All Sauron got in his mouth was another ice spray that filled the inside, again cutting off his breathing.

Using every ounce of his jaw muscles, the dinosaur shatters Elsa's ice & lets the pieces fall from his maw.

From behind, he gets assaulted by a trio of powerful explosive arrows which caused Sauron to cry out in pain.

Turning to look behind him, the dinosaur can see his _other _intended/hated target on her black-furred horse, her own face a mask of raging hate for the saurian.

"_Come on, Sauron! You want a meal?! Try ME, you prehistoric wanker!_", Merida shouted.

It was a challenge Sauron gladly accepted: bellowing a roar, the T-Rex came after Merida & prepared to do to her what she nearly did with Elsa, of whom his back was turned to.

It gave the Snow Queen her chance.

_Good girl, Merida! Keep him busy!_, Elsa thought, aiming her left forearm gun.

Unlike last time, Elsa shoots a stream of her ice that wasn't as thick as her other shots, but rather, _thinner _than before. It was for a reason: she wanted to make the terrain on Sauron's path to Merida as slippery as possible to throw him off-balance, slip & fall.

Her tactic works: in a blinding instant, Elsa created a sheet of ice like a giant skating rink that Sauron steps onto, slips upon & trips as he fell onto his right side with earth-shattering force that cracks the ice sheet everywhere. Sauron was halted in his steps 30 meters from Merida, who fired a trio of powerful electrical arrows at her downed enemy, the voltage causing Sauron to cry out in pain before Elsa shot forth her ice again – this time in _thick _streams, & from _both _of her guns – and blankets Sauron from nose tip to tail tip.

She doesn't stop until the Tyrannosaurus is completely encased in ice, using the same tactic when she'd done so with Megalon in Arendelle many years ago.

Witnessing the terrible Tyrannosaur in an icy slumber, Elsa, Merida & the rest relaxed.

"And to _think_, Sven…_we _used to slip on the ice like that!", Kristoff said.

"We still do!", Kristoff said in his 'Sven voice'.

"You're a mood-killer, you know that?", Kristoff says regularly.

Sven simply wagged his tail & panted happily like a playful puppy.

Everyone else simply grinned and/or giggled.

Merida caught up with Elsa as they kept a good distance of 50 meters away from Sauron's frozen, immobile state.

"It was a close shave, but…we _got _him, Elsa!", Merida says.

"Yes indeed, Merida!", Elsa said. "And now that he's immobilized, we can get in touch with General Hale so she & her people can _dispose _of Sauron in the best way possible."

"In the meantime, let's go check on Gaira, Sanda _and _Godzilla Junior. Like you, I'm _worried _for them, having received such punishment from Sauron."

Elsa peered at the unmoving forms of said monsters that battled the great saurian.

Like Merida, she _is _worried for them, especially for Junior, who had a piece of his flesh torn off & eaten.

Junior's healing factor isn't as effective as that of his older siblings', & that's what's weighing on her mind the most above all else.

"Let's do that", Elsa replied. "If their injuries don't _look _too serious, maybe we can help to _revive _them & perhaps even to _help _us with…"

Sounds of cracking ice broke Elsa off as everyone turned to see the ice casing which trapped Sauron cracked like a frozen egg in various spots, with pieces already chipping & flying off.

_No…that's not possible!_, Anna thought.

But it _was_: Sauron burst through his ice prison & sent chunks of ice everywhere, some of which reached the town itself & demolished ruined buildings & vehicles.

Miraculously, the hiding place where Elsa & Merida's friends/family stayed in was spared.

Freed from the ice he was encased in, Sauron roared angrily & found his two human antagonists immediately as he renewed his deep hatred for both. The ladies fired their weapons simultaneously at the raging dinosaur, but Sauron was _wise _to their antics: he dodged Elsa's ice, while ducking to allow Merida's arrows to fly past, doing no significant damage.

It stunned the ladies to see they failed in hitting their target, but they kept up their assault.

Sadly, it was just as ineffective as before: neither Elsa's ice nor Merida's arrows were reaching their target, for Sauron avoided each method of attack, exactly like he did at Hal & Daphne's ranch days ago.

It didn't mean they would give up: Elsa & Merida never let up on their assault, knowing that even the slightest pause or hesitation will cost them.

Sauron, however, had _other _plans: stomping his right foot down, the Tyrannosaurus used a small portion of his 'earthquake stomp' aimed directly at Elsa & Merida which sent both girls, Maximus & Angus airborne from the impact to a height of 20 feet before hitting the rain-soaked ground. Upon hitting the ground, Elsa's guns came off her arms & Merida's bow & quiver of arrows scattered in the mud.

Maximus & Angus both got the wind knocked out of them & lay still.

Elinor & company gasped at the sight.

Sven started to get out there & help his friends, but was firmly held back by Kristoff.

"_No_, Sven, _no!_", he barked, fighting to keep the reindeer staying put.

"Sven, if you go out there, _you'll _be eaten _too!_", Anna adds, ceasing the animal's desire.

Instead, Sven bellowed as loudly as he could, hoping that the noise will wake up the girls _and _their steeds.

Rapunzel & the rest caught on, & _they _began crying out their names repeatedly.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be enough: Elsa, Merida, Maximus & Angus were all lying on the muddy area as rain spattered their faces, unresponsive to anything from the cries of their friends to Sauron's approach.

Just now 20 meters away, the Tyrannosaurus came closer to his two victims & readied to devour both troublesome humans, while getting a pair of equestrians as an added bonus.

Maui thought otherwise: unseen by most, his left hand started giving off a small charge as thin bolts of electric voltage began dancing around, followed by his eyes.

"Maui?", Moana whispered.

Her sibling saw he was ready to erupt with an electrical discharge, even if it meant doing so in front of Tamika – the only person in the group who _doesn't _know of the man's hidden talent.

Sauron stared down at Elsa & Merida, preparing to consume each one.

Slowly but surely, he lowers his head to claim his prizes.

Maui's hand & eyes burned brighter with voltage.

From within the town, a small sound system was being set up & activated, the volume turned up all the way.

The sound that came out of it was that of a beating drum, which echoed beyond the town. Everyone – including Sauron – turned to see where it emanated from: atop the roof of a building that was lucky enough to have been spared Sauron's wrath. Getting to an area for a closer look, Elinor's group can see a lone figure standing at the top, his shirt removed & his bare chest decorated with war paint that included his face. He held the drum – a ceremonial drum – in one hand & beat it with a stick in the other. A microphone was close by & attached to a small stereo system that all but greatly amplified the sound.

His constant beating of the drum was attracting Sauron as he had hoped, & the dinosaur's attention turned from his would-be victims over to his new target – which had something of a familiar feel to him.

"What in the _world_…?", Moana started to say.

"Who _is _that crazy fool?!", Eugene, Kristoff & Maui asked in disbelief.

Tamika peered into the rain as hard as she could.

She could barely make out the person's face, but it was more than enough to recognize it.

Even _she _was stunned to be seeing him here.

"That 'crazy fool'…is my _boyfriend!_", she stated.

"_Royce?!_", everyone but Tamika shouted, the revelation shocking them.

Overhead, the clouds turned even darker & more rain & flashes of thunder lit up the sky with ear-pounding booms as it became more like nighttime. Sauron reentered the town & stepped on an upturned vehicle, crushing it like it was made of tin foil. He made a beeline for Royce, who continued beating his drum until the dinosaur was only two blocks away before he put it down & picked up a long pole with large bird feathers at one end, pointing it towards the heavens.

"What's he _doing?_", Rapunzel wondered.

"Fulfilling his destiny", Tamika said with a smile. "He's finally accepted his role!"

Merida, Elsa, Maximus & Angus regain consciousness & hear the beating of a ceremonial drum, followed by witnessing Sauron making his way back to town.

"You okay, Elsa?", Merida asked.

"I've been worse", Elsa answered. "But who in the _world _is beating that drum?"

Merida took out a pair of binoculars that zoomed in on where the sound originated from.

Like Elinor & the rest, she was shocked to see who it was.

"I don't _believe _it! It's _Royce!_", she cried.

"_Royce?!_", Elsa repeated, taking the offered binocs from her friend & peered through them.

Sure enough, the casino/hotel owner was beating on a drum before putting it down & picking up a long pole with feathers at the end.

_What _are _you _doing_, you silly man?!_, the Snow Queen thought.

Gathering their weapons & remounting their rides, Elsa & Merida raced back to town.

With the microphone still on, Royce began speaking in a language that was unfamiliar to everyone but Tamika.

"Tamika…is Royce speaking in your native Navajo tongue?", Elinor asked.

"Yes, Elinor…he _is_", she replied.

"What's he saying?", Anna wondered.

Tamika listened in as intently as she could.

"I am Royce Bidziil, living descendant of the ancient elders to the Navajo", she translates. "With my ancestors' blood & spirits coursing through me, I shall use their power to help bring down & vanquish this monstrosity they have unceremoniously summoned in order to stop another before betraying us."

Tamika took a moment to listen to more from Royce before resuming.

"With my ancestors' prayers & blessings, I call forth their power to assist me in challenging this creature & send it back to whence it came…and this time, may it be so that this devilish creature _never again _emerges to spread its fear & terror on the world on which it once walked."

Royce shouted something else that made the lightning erupt & send a bolt of it directly at Royce's staff. Instantly he convulsed from the voltage but stood firm. The girls below couldn't help but to scream briefly at the display. Maui & the guys simply stared in utter disbelief.

Again Royce shouted above in his native tongue, bringing forth another lightning bolt that turned his entire body in a bluish hue as his body swirled with electricity. He does it a third time just as Sauron was within striking distance.

The Tyrannosaurus stared at this human with a blue hue of a body.

Sensing a danger to his being (a rather _familiar _danger), Sauron opened his mouth to gobble up Royce in a single bite.

He never gets to: Royce pointed his staff at Sauron's open maw and, chanting in his native tongue, shot forth the bolts of lightning he collected at Sauron.

From head to tail, Sauron was jolted with powerful electric voltage that coursed through his body, causing him to bellow an insanely boisterous roar that was as loud as the thunder itself. The electricity that buffeted Sauron caused him to swagger in his step as he fell backwards.

It was an incredible sight for Tamika & everyone to see.

The scenario reminded Elinor of the story the shaman told them days ago.

"'With what power they could muster, they've called upon the spirits to help them vanquish Sauron'…", Elinor began, reciting the man's words.

"'With some extra help from above'!", Maui, Eugene & Kristoff finished.

"The _lightning!_", Moana says. "_That's _how the elders defeated Sauron that first time: he's _vulnerable _to electric voltage! That _also _explains why Merida's electric arrows worked so _well_ on him!"

"_And _why _Mothra's _electric assault worked just as effectively!", Rapunzel says. "She _knew _it was his Achilles' Heel by instinct!"

Royce called forth more lightning bolts from the heavens as Sauron was prepping for another attack. In the blink of an eye, the Tyrannosaurus lunged forward at the Indian human who dared to put such a hurt on him as the ones with white & red hair did.

It happened so quick that the group nearly missed it.

But Sauron was stopped by some invisible force, as if he hit a wall he couldn't see. The dinosaur tried again, but was halted in the same manner. He attempted repeatedly to get to Royce, only to meet with defeat every time.

"Sauron can't _get _to Royce! How is that _possible?_", Anna asked.

"Those who call upon the power of the ancients are protected by a barrier to enable the summoner to perform his duties in safety", Tamika explains. "Sauron can try all he wants, but he'll _never _get to Royce until he wished the barrier away…or he collapses."

Tamika's last three words were spoken softly, praying that her lover stays strong & firm until Sauron is no more.

Having been powered by another three bolts, Royce shot forth his power at Sauron a second time: the effects are immediate as the dinosaur bellowed in anguish again, his cry loud enough for the heavens to hear.

Like before, Sauron took a nasty stumble as the voltage was starting to take a toll on him.

Unfortunately, so was Royce: the two attempts in using the power of his ancestors was draining _him _of his strength & he went down on his knees, unsure if he could continue.

"What's happening? Why hasn't Sauron been _vanquished _yet?", asked Elinor.

"Don't forget, Elinor: it took _all _of the elders to defeat Sauron & bury him back then!", Tamika explains, facing her. "Royce is just one man! His power by itself isn't enough! He can't _do_ this _alone!_"

"He won't _have _to do it alone, Tamika!", Maui said, taking off towards the building Royce was at.

"Maui, what are you…?", Tamika says, going after him.

Moana halted her progress by stepping in front of her.

"It's all right, Tamika", she says.

"I don't get it!", Tamika said. "What can _Maui _possibly do to defeat Sauron if _Royce _can't do it?"

"_Trust _me, Tamika…trust _him_."

A warm smile on Moana's face was all it took to convince Tamika, & she nods.

Like a prize runner in a decathlon race, Maui ran into the building & went up the stairs as fast as he could, his cowboy boots echoing through the hallways. When he got to the roof, he saw Royce on his hands & knees.

"_Royce!_", he cried, rushing over to & helping the young Navajo to his feet.

When Royce saw who it was, he sobered up.

"Maui?!", he said. "What are _you _doing up here?!"

"Lending you an assist!", Maui said. "Quick…call forth the lightning again!"

"If I do _that_, then _you'll _be bathed in electricity…and it will _kill _you!"

The sound of Sauron getting back on his feet meant time was short.

"Trust me, Royce…it won't!", Maui said, punctuating his claim by showing the man his right hand which cackled with electricity. The gesture surprised Royce but there was no time to debate the subject.

"Are you a god?", Royce wondered.

"Something like that", Maui says. "I'll explain later! Call forth for the lightning…_now!_"

Lifting his staff – now with its feathers long burned off – with Maui's help, Royce does indeed call forth for the lightning & gathers a trio of lightning bolts just as Sauron made his approach, ramming into the invisible barrier with all his might.

It didn't budge in the slightest, but it _did _rock Maui & Royce a little, both of whom were bathed in a bluish hue.

Thankfully, neither man stumbled as Royce aimed his staff at Sauron & fired.

Because of the added voltage from Maui's hand, the bolt of electricity that struck Sauron was the most powerful yet, & it was strong enough to actually _knock down _the dinosaur onto his side, shaking the ground when he landed.

His primal scream of pain was Sauron's loudest yet.

Even though he could take more of the electricity than Royce could, Maui was still wobbly on his feet, & he got down on one knee as he gently placed Royce on his rear.

Checking for a pulse, he was relieved to know that he was alive – unconscious but alive.

Grabbing his legs & lifting him up, Maui started descending the stairs to ground level.

When Maui regrouped with Tamika & the others, they gathered round them as Maui placed Royce next to a wall, with Tamika getting to his side.

"Is he…?", Tamika started to say.

"He's alive, Tamika", Maui said. "The ceremony just took a _lot _out of him, that's all."

"And what about _you_, Maui? I _saw _you project lightning bolts from your _hand_, of all things! Just _how _were you even able to _do _that?!"

Maui & everyone knew the jig was up, & he didn't bother to deny it.

"We _do _owe you an explanation, Tamika", Maui says. "Just not right now."

The sound of Maximus & Angus' hooves caused the group to turn in their direction to see the steeds bringing in Elsa & Merida, who dismounted & joined their friends.

"We saw what happened even from _our _point of view!", Merida said. "How _is _Royce?"

"He's alive, thank goodness!", Elinor says. "But…I'm afraid Tamika _saw _Maui use his natural-born power when he assisted Royce."

"We _also_ saw that ourselves, Elinor", Elsa said. "And since _Tamika _witnessed the same spectacle, she deserves to know the truth about Maui…along with the _rest _of us."

The Navajo female was more confused than ever.

"You mean…you _all _have powers like Maui?", she asked.

"Not _all _of us, Tamika", said Moana. "_I _don't have any powers, but we _do _share a very special bond of sorts."

"We'll relay it to you at a later time, Tamika", Kristoff said. "Right now, I think Royce is stirring to wake up!"

Everyone turned to Royce as the Navajo's eyes were flittering, along with the slight shaking of his head & a soft moaning from his lips.

"Royce!", Tamika cried. "Can you hear me?!"

His eyes opened to see a blurry Tamika staring down at him.

"Tamika?", he said weakly.

"Yes! It's me!", she cried.

"Good. I'm glad…I could get to you…in time."

"How'd you know to _find _me here?"

"I just traced…your cell phone…with my GPS…and followed you here."

Tamika took out her cell phone & looked at it, smiling weakly.

"Smart man", she said softly.

"And just in the nick of time, too!", Eugene said. "What made you decide to accept your role as medicine man, anyway?"

"Well, Tamika's kidnapping…was _one _reason", Royce replied. "Another is because…I was a _fool _to…abandon my role as I now see…it _was _something I couldn't escape…I simply wanted…to make amends…that's all."

Tamika smiled, happy to see her lover _did _fulfil his destiny after all.

"Took you long enough", she joked as both chuckled.

It ended when Royce suddenly went into a relapse & his head lolled to one side.

"Royce?!", Tamika cried.

Moana checked his pulse, & her eyes widened.

"His pulse is _weakening_, Tamika…_fast!_", she said.

"We need to get him to a _hospital!_", Tamika cried.

Moana & Maui shook their heads.

"In _his _condition, Tamika, he wouldn't survive the _trip!_", said the latter.

"Then what do you _suggest _we do?!", Tamika fumed. "We can't just sit here & do _nothing!_"

"Nobody's saying _anything _of the kind, Tamika!", Rapunzel said, going over to Royce & placing his left hand on her head.

"What are you _doing_, Rapunzel?"

"Saving the life of your true love", Anna said. "We won't _need _a hospital."

"_Trust _my wife, Tamika", Eugene stepped in before she could.

Hand on her head, Rapunzel sings her 'special song' that makes with the magic:

Flower gleam & glow, let your power shine

Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design

Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine

What once was mine

Tamika's eyes were agape once she started seeing Rapunzel's brunette hair shine a golden hue, which spread on & struck Royce all over. Immediately the Navajo felt his strength get restored & his injuries vanishing, inside & out. As his vitality returned, Royce opened his eyes to see his hand on Rapunzel's head, glowing like the sun itself.

But as unbelievable as it looked or _felt_, Royce didn't take his hand away.

Until Rapunzel was done: her hair went back to brunette, & Royce was healed everywhere, with no injuries either within or in plain sight.

He & Tamika stared at Rapunzel & company like they've never seen them before.

"Who _are _you people?", both Navajos asked in bewilderment.

Nobody had time to answer their question: Sauron rose from his bed of debris & shook off the electric attacks & roared in anger, vowing to make the humans which hurt him pay: not only does he have it in for both Merida & Elsa, but Maui & Royce have also been added to the list.

He spotted them right away, chilling everyone's blood.

"He still stands…even after _all _that punishment he received!", Royce said.

Sauron took a step towards the group when he was struck in the side by a beam of blue-white energy, making him roar in agony. Turning, the Tyrannosaurus saw Godzilla Junior, Gaira & Sanda were all back on their feet & ready for Round 2.

Taking a quick peek at the humans, Sauron raced off after the much larger sources of food but vowed to return for them.

"Looks like _they're _ready for a _rematch!_", said Kristoff.

Nodding, the group make their way to get the best seats in the house.

Explanations for Maui, Rapunzel & the rest can wait for later – if there _is _a later.

Like any wounded animal would, Sauron lashed out at Godzilla Junior in an eager desire for revenge on the young monster for the unexpected hit, running at top speed right for him. Sanda & Gaira impeded his path to intercept Sauron, but the Tyrannosaur would _not _be denied: as a kangaroo would, Sauron leaped over both hominoid creatures & landed behind Junior in a move that surprised the young monster. Before Junior _or _his partners could react, Sauron lashed out with his tail, hitting Junior's legs tripping him as he fell on his side. Gaira & Sanda came in to assist, but Sauron was ready for them: he did his head-butt attack at Gaira while using his tail like a hook as he wrapped it on Sanda's neck in a simultaneous attack. Both gargantuan siblings hit the ground as Gaira had the wind knocked out of him while Sanda was tossed several meters away.

With the siblings temporarily handled, Sauron can now get to Godzilla Junior, who was getting back on his feet.

Sauron wasn't going to allow it: rushing in at the young monster, the Tyrannosaurus clobbered Junior in the head with his own, drawing blood from his lips & making him see stars. Keeping the momentum up, Sauron kicked Junior in the sides, causing them to hurt & lose his balance. The T-Rex also uses his powerful tail to mercilessly smack/slap Junior everywhere, giving him no chance to make a counteroffensive.

At the rate he's going, Sauron will _kill _Junior.

Sanda went over to Gaira & helped his sibling to his feet before noticing Sauron giving Godzilla Junior a serious pounding. Roaring in anger at seeing their little friend get bullied, the gargantuan siblings rushed in to help.

Quickly noticing their approach, Sauron seized Junior from the back of his neck in his jaws & lifted him up as he gave the young monster a slight squeeze, causing Junior to cry out from the pressure.

It was a situation that reads 'Back off, or I'll bite down on his neck & sever his head from his shoulders'.

Junior tried shaking himself loose, but Sauron put the brakes to that by biting further, warning him not to resist him again.

Both gargantuan siblings stopped once Junior's neck bled softly in thin streams from teeth punctures.

Much as they want to get to & defeat Sauron, neither hominoid wanted to endanger Junior's life any further: they didn't want it coming near to a point where the young monster might be killed with a simple chomp from the dinosaur's powerful jaws if they tried any heroic tactic.

They _also _didn't want to have to explain it to Godzilla himself, wondering how they could without the Monster King wishing to roast them alive for allowing his younger sibling to perish at the hands of an enemy.

Facing Godzilla is an instant death sentence, as many enemies found out, to their dismay.

Very tense moments passed, with neither side budging or giving in.

It was also felt by Elsa & company, wishing they could lend Junior & the Gargantuas an assist as they did Royce.

But this was _their _fight. They're just spectators on the sidelines.

_Junior…_Kristoff, Anna & Elsa thought, fearing for his life.

A volley of pointed stingers came from nowhere & struck Sauron on the side, making him roar in pain & release his hostage as Junior fell to the ground before the T-Rex gets clobbered by a large object that flew in with tremendous speed, sending the saurian tumbling/rolling across the land.

Neither Junior nor Elsa's group could believe what – or who – it was, as this creature flapped her wings in total grace & vigilance.

"_Mothra!_", they cried, seeing the lepidopteran all healed up & looking better than ever even in the dark gloomy skies above that continued pouring rain & flashing thunder from above. Unknown to the group, Mothra's landing over at the Cathedral Rock formation in the state's Sedona area was no coincidence: she _knew _to head directly there, as it is said that spiritual energy dwells within the area in which Mothra sensed after her first encounter with Sauron. That same spiritual energy helped heal Mothra in just a few days, giving her a restoration/rejuvenation that had been reminiscent of Rapunzel's magical healing process back in 1788, or even further back 3,000 years ago when Te Fiti offered her own life force to save Mothra's own after being savagely beaten by Manu Ahi as a larva.

Seeing her now in a rejuvenated state was surprising to all, but they were _still _very happyto see she survived.

Mothra chirped at the Tyrannosaurus, who was now getting back onto his feet. Seeing the butterfly in the air & ready to do battle again was an impossible sight for the dinosaur, remembering how he ripped a chunk of her flesh & left her for dead; it infuriated him to see this insect alive & well, floating before him.

No matter: Sauron had her at death's door, & he'll do it again.

Only _this _time, he'll do it in a _permanent _manner.

Unleashing a roar of rage, Sauron ran at Mothra like he did Junior, who puts distance between him & the T-Rex.

The Tyrannosaurus also ignores Gaira & Sanda at the moment, concentrating on the butterfly which gave him a series of painful assaults days ago.

Now he wishes for serious payback.

Jumping at the lepidopteran, Sauron opens his jaws to take another chunk – a _bigger _one – out of the insect to create a wound she'll _never _recover from. But he was in for a big surprise: when Sauron was within reach, Mothra got herself in a vertical position & shot forth a bolt of green energy from her midsection that struck the dinosaur square in his chest. So powerful that blast was, it carried Sauron over 200 meters before he crashed on the ground, causing a dark patch of scorched flesh on his chest that smoked. Godzilla Junior shot his own heat beam at the dinosaur, striking him in the same area & doubling his agony.

Feeling he was about to black out from the pain, Sauron fought to stay conscious.

Mothra doesn't give him any: she immediately flew in & let loose with her electrical attack on the Tyrannosaur, only now they were more intense than before. The assault was so severe that Sauron's skin started to blister & smoke at various places on his body, making it hard for him to concentrate on how to strike back.

During that time, Godzilla Junior came in & made some physical attacks of his own on the dinosaur: as Mothra relented, Junior bit down on Sauron's left forearm with enough force to snap the cartilage. The crunch was heard even from where Elinor & company were, & Sauron roared in agony. The dinosaur tried prying the young monster loose as pain shot all over, but it was useless: Junior suffered greatly at his enemy's hands, & he was about to pay him back in any way possible.

Breaking his forearm was only the beginning.

With a thrust, Junior slammed Sauron to the ground before releasing his now-useless appendage & taking a bite on _his _left side as the T-Rex did to him earlier. And as _Junior _suffered a deep wound, now it was _Sauron's _turn: Junior yanked off a piece of the yellow-skinned reptile & consumed it, repaying his foe on equal terms. The tear was so hurtful, it nearly caused the T-Rex to pass out especially in his weakened condition.

"Yeah…see how _you _like it for a change!", Eugene said.

"Turnabout _is _fair play, after all!", Rapunzel said, getting a lover's squeeze from her hubby.

Both grinned in satisfaction.

The hate for the young monster & his pain gave Sauron the boost of strength he needs to rise up & counteract: lunging at Junior, he snaps his jaws at his intended prey to repay him for the suffering he endured at his hands. He does this repeatedly, with each attempt more vicious than the last. But like his elder sibling & the other monsters, Junior was faster than his size permits him: he stayed one step ahead of those snapping jaws that threaten to cause serious harm.

Hard as he tried, Sauron could _not _make contact with Junior.

Junior, however, makes contact with Sauron: on one attempt, the young monster fired his heat ray at the dinosaur's face which struck him behind his eye & mouth. The flesh darkened & made Sauron's vision see colored spots.

Mothra made Sauron see even more colors in his sights when she attacks with her antennae beams, the projectiles causing bleeding cuts in his skin. She adds insult to injury when she body-slams Sauron with her wings & sends the dinosaur over to Gaira & Sanda, both of whom were waiting to get _their _licks in.

Flying over to Junior, Mothra asks Godzilla's protégé to remain neutral & allow the gargantuan siblings to finish off the terrible Tyrannosaur.

Having had his fill of vengeance, Junior agreed.

Sanda & Gaira wasted no time in delivering punishment: the green hominoid tackled the yellow-skinned saurian & began pounding on the creature, his attack more feral than before as he even bit on Sauron's flesh to rip off a piece of him like Junior had done. Even with a broken forearm & some flesh torn off his hide, Sauron was still a vicious fighter: he matched Gaira move for move & they wrestled on the ground like a pair of wild dogs brawling over a kill.

The land they fought on shook that was felt even from where Royce & his party stood.

It was a true fight of basic primal rage between two titans.

For several minutes, neither combatant could gain an advantage on the other until Sauron got sloppy: when the dinosaur lunged for Gaira's face to literally rip it off, the green hominoid creature gave his opponent a sharp uppercut which stunned Sauron & caused him to bite his own tongue. Gaira quickly followed it up with a karate chop to the back of his neck that toppled Sauron as he fell on his stomach. Taking a cue from Godzilla himself, Gaira grabbed Sauron's tail & lifted him off the ground before body-slamming his full weight, shaking the earth with sledgehammer force.

Gaira does this maneuver a full dozen times, leaving Sauron dazed.

When Sanda called for him, Gaira saw his sibling standing to the left of him, using a hand signal to bring forth their enemy his way.

The green hominoid got the idea & nodded before swinging Sauron by the tail in his direction.

Making a fist with his right hand, Sanda put all his power into that one punch into Sauron's face once he got in range. The blow vibrated everywhere as the Tyrannosaurus went flying from the hit, losing several of his teeth in the process. Sauron landed on his side as white muzzles entered his vision from receiving such a blow.

Not wanting to give him a chance to gather his wits, Sanda came in at Sauron to finish him off.

What came next was something Sanda was unprepared for: by pure luck alone, Sauron reached out & bit down on the brown hominoid's left lower leg. The move made Sanda cry out in pain & surprise, & he began kicking down on Sauron's head to force his release.

Unfortunately, it only caused the dinosaur to bite down harder.

Seeing his sibling in trouble, Gaira rushed in & bit down on the wound Godzilla Junior inflicted & tore off yet _another _chunk of his flesh in a move that forced his release on Sanda as Sauron roared furiously.

Gaira consumed the piece of flesh he tore off in moments.

Furious beyond belief, Sauron lunged at his nearest target – Sanda – and was stopped by Gaira, who held the T-Rex in a firm grip. Nodding his approval, Sanda unloaded on Sauron with thunderous blows to the dinosaur's face with left & right jabs/hooks that knocked more teeth out & even caused several skull fractures wherever the blows landed.

In a last-ditch attempt, Sauron opened his maw to give back the punishment he received, but it was futile: Sanda grabbed both upper & lower jaws & used his strength to pry them open further than they were intended. Sauron felt the pressure building on his jaw muscles & fought to relieve himself of it, but Sanda didn't relent as Gaira held him firm.

Pushing his strength as much as he could, Sanda kept prying Sauron's jaws even as the Tyrannosaur swiveled his head violently to free himself. He might as well try getting free from an octopus that has a solid grip on him: Sauron is caught but good, & all the swiveling/fighting wasn't going to save him from the inevitable.

Finally, it happens: with a loud cracking of bone, flesh & cartilage, Sanda pried Sauron's jaws open so that they were nearly parallel with each other as the top almost reached over to the back of his head. Royce, Tamika & the rest squinted & briefly turned away from the sight, the sickening cracking noises stinging their ears.

It was louder even than that of the lightning booms & drenching rain that came down.

Gaira & Sanda backed away from the immovable body of Sauron as his corpse stood still for a few moments just before collapsing like a deflated holiday inflatable.

His body landed with a thud.

Sauron, the terrible Tyrannosaurus, was history.

Raising their heads & arms, Gaira & Sanda roared triumphantly to the heavens, their cries louder than the booms of the lightning. Mothra & Godzilla Junior do the same before rejoining the gargantuan siblings.

Elinor & company stared in silence before Royce spoke up.

"I couldn't defeat Sauron, no matter how hard I tried", he says. "But _they did_."

"They couldn't have done so without _you_, Royce", Tamika said. "You may not have _defeated _Sauron, but you _did _soften him up for those four to _finish _the job."

Royce had to agree: his power alone didn't complete the task of defeating Sauron like the elders did because he was one man, but he managed to _tenderize _the dinosaur to give Gaira, Sanda, Mothra & Junior a fighting chance.

For the Navajo medicine man, _that's _an accomplishment.

"But now that _Sauron's _no longer a threat…", Tamika says, turning to her friends. "I do believe we're owed an explanation?"

"You & Royce _will _be getting one as promised, Tamika", Merida says. "But in the meantime, there's that _other _matter with Clyde Winchester & his people."

The mentioning of the government man's name brought back Royce's other reason for donning the medicine man equipment.

"That's right!", Royce says. "While I came to help Tamika & the rest of you, Hal & _his _band were gearing up to head for the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge to intercept Clyde and…"

A sudden realization hit Royce, & he had a face of fear.

"What's _wrong_, Royce?", Maui asked. "Surely Hal & the others can handle a snake like Clyde."

"In a one-on-one match, yes!", Royce explains. "But that area Hal's heading to? It's a circular canyon that's over 200 meters wide & 20-40 meters tall! It can be used to hold off a whole _army _if one knew how! And you can _bet _Clyde won't be _alone!_"

His answer spelled a horrible picture in everyone's head.

"Hal & his party are heading straight for an _ambush!_", Eugene says. "He's probably _caught _in one _already!_"

"We need to get _up_ there & help him _out _of it!", said Rapunzel.

"Follow us in my truck!", Royce said. "Tamika & I know this state like the back of our hands! We'll get you up there in no time!"

"Mum, _go _with them in the truck!", Merida says. "_We'll _follow you on Angus & the other steeds!"

Elinor nodded & raced to catch up with the two Navajos while the rest boarded Angus, Maximus, Sven & Flower.

The ex-queen of DunBroch called out to them, making them turn to her.

"Elinor?", they said in unison.

"Aren't going to ride with your friends?", Tamika asks.

"Merida requested me to ride with you two instead", Elinor said. "Royce…are you _sure _you're up to being behind the wheel? I know Rapunzel _healed _you & all, but…"

"I'll be all right to drive…I promise", he answered.

Tamika turned to look Elinor straight in the eye.

"You & your friends asked _us _to trust you before", she says. "_Now _we're asking for _you_ to do the same."

Tamika stared at Elinor solidly, not budging for an instant.

Merida's mum nodded.

"Fair enough, Tamika", Elinor says, facing her lover. "Let's ride, young man!"

Nodding, Royce got in the driver's seat as Tamika & Elinor rode shotgun.

Putting it into drive, Royce did a U-turn & headed north as Maximus, Sven, Angus & Flower followed after them in the torrential downpour.

Unbeknownst to them all, Mothra, Gaira, Sanda & Godzilla Junior watched as the caravan raced off & away.

Each of them felt presences that were familiar to them & caught their scents even in the heavy downpour.

There was no mistaking them: these were the humans that have helped them overcome great obstacles in the past, & they wondered where they were heading off to in such a rush. While the monsters knew these humans were capable of handling themselves in a scuffle, their instincts tell them something else: that there was still danger looming, & they pondered on whether or not they should investigate themselves.

Mothra gave a series of chirps as she 'spoke' to her partners, with them answering back.

Finally, a decision was made.

**CHAPTER IX**

_The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, hours later:_

Once the shooting started, Hal, Daphne & their cowboy flock took cover behind large rocks & even in a nearby ditch dug there by persons unknown. A fierce shootout between Hal's troupe & Clyde's henchmen erupted in an all-out showdown that was not unlike that of the iconic Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that took place at Tombstone, Arizona on October 26, 1881 when Wyatt Earp, his two brothers Virgil & Morgan & Doc Holliday took on the McLaury & Clanton brothers & Billy Claiborne.

But with _this _particular gunfight, it's being played out with old-fashioned six-eight shooters & pump-action rifles against with automatic machine guns ranging from Uzis to sniper rifles & pump-action shotguns. Grenades & dynamite were also added into the foray.

It's one that makes the original 1881 gunfight look timid.

The first several minutes commenced with heavy gunfire until the storm came passing through, consisting of rain which turned the landscape muddy & bolts of lightning that lit the skies, with several of them striking the earth itself & created large potholes in the terrain. Powerful wind gusts made bullets miss their mark, & all combatants were literally grounded by the storm until it passed.

When it did over an hour later, the fighting resumed: bullets flew every which way, & grenades/dynamite were all thrown & detonated in a series of blasts that came close to taking people's lives.

The gunfight lasted a number of hours, with neither side making any headway.

"What do we _do_, Hal?!", shouted one man from the ditch he took cover in. "We haven't moved an _inch _since we restarted this fight, & we can't _stay _here forever either!"

"He's not wrong, Hal!", Daphne said, firing off another shot before diving for cover. "Sooner or later, Clyde & his men are going to think of making an advance our way, & who knows _what _they'll have up their sleeves once they do!"

Hal gave off two shots from his gun & hid before replying back.

"You're both right, honey!", he said. "We've been at this for quite a while & haven't gotten anywhere! If we're going to come out on top of _this _scuffle, we need to gain more ground & make that advance before _they _do!"

Hal looked at his wife directly, & she instantly knew what her hubby was thinking.

"It's a big risk, Hal, but I'm in for the long haul!", she said. "How about you?"

"I'll go to the devil's domain with you any day, darling!", Hal replied without hesitation.

Both smiled.

"Fellas, Daphne & I are going to make a break for that canyon!", Hal shouted.

His men were stunned at what came from his mouth.

"Are you _crazy_, Hal?!", shouted one man. "You & the missus head out there in the open, they'll pick you off for _certain! _No two-way about it!"

"What's even _crazier _is letting them overrun us once our ammo runs out, & judging by the looks of things, that won't be too far off! So unless anyone's got a _better _idea…"

None of the men spoke up, admitting that _nobody _had a better idea.

Everyone reloaded & cocked their guns, aiming them at the canyon.

"Don't get yourselves shot!", said a man.

"Make _sure _we don't get shot!", Hal said, smiling & facing his wife. "Ready, hon?"

"Just give me the _word_, Hal!", Daphne said, mounting her horse & readying her rifle.

_That's my gal!_, Hal thought, getting onto his own equestrian & checking his guns.

"When I say…", he starts, waiting for the perfect moment to begin.

After close to a minute of a ceasefire, Hal gave the signal.

"_NOW!_", he shouted as he & Daphne emerged from hiding & raced off towards the circular canyon.

Immediately the shooting from both sides came back with a vengeance as Clyde's men did their best to hit the approaching husband-&-wife, while Hal & Daphne's people gave them cover like they promised.

Husband & wife gave firepower of their own.

Bill Sidewinder watched from his vantage point, disbelieving what he saw.

_Hal & Daphne truly _are _insane!_, he thought.

"Get them!", Bill shouted. "Whatever you do, _don't _let they get within 100 _yards _of this place!"

The shooting intensified from the canyon's many viewpoints, with bullets striking close to Hal & Daphne but not hitting either as they returned fire with their own weapons, some of them hitting their targets & falling their assailants, never to get up again.

Bill watched as several men were dropping like flies from Hal & Daphne's accurate shooting. Of all the times he knew them, he'd seen Hal & Daphne shoot cans/bottles from quite a distance flawlessly.

He just never knew they were _this _good!

The traitorous cowboy learns he's in over his head, & unless he does something to correct this, it could be _him _to be felled by Hal _or _Daphne in a hot minute.

Thinking fast, Bill spots a rocket launcher loaded & ready to fire. Grabbing it & aiming it out the port, Bill got both husband & wife in his sights & fired. With a streak that screamed, the rocket headed for its intended target.

Hal & Daphne saw the rocket heading their way, & they quickly turned left to avoid the oncoming projectile.

They were only half-successful: they _did _dodge the rocket & avoided getting blasted to pieces, but the force of it once it detonated threw them & their steeds over a dozen feet, & they were ejected before they even hit the ground.

Fighting furiously to shake the cobwebs from their heads, Hal & Daphne ask each other if they were okay, & as they regain their balance, they find they lost their firearms in the fall.

Luckily, they were only a few feet away & they went in to get them.

But their luck turned bad as a few bullets came close to hitting them, causing them to back off. Looking up, Hal & Daphne saw Bill Sidewinder & his troops heading their way in jeeps, each of them aiming guns right at them.

"You reach for your guns again, Hal, you & the missus are dead!", Bill warned.

Hal & Daphne stared coldly at Bill & his troupe, who stop 12 feet from where they lay.

"Get up…both of you!", Bill ordered as husband & wife do so, their arms raised.

"So what _now_, Bill?! You going to _shoot _us?!", Hal spat.

"I didn't _want _this ordeal to be extended to a shootout between us, Hal, believe me!", Bill said. "But you just _had _to go & kick the hornet's nest, didn't you?"

"You really think you can _win_ this, Bill?", Daphne asked. "Have you forgotten about the _rest _of our boys? In just a few moments, they're going to come after you with guns blazing…"

"We see even _one _of your boys come out of hiding or take the slightest pot shot at _any _of us, we kill you both on the spot!"

One of Bill's men gave a warning via megaphone of the consequences should they show themselves or attempt any target practice. He also added that a rocket launcher was aimed directly at their position, ready to fire.

Each of Hal & Daphne's people received the message & stay put, doing nothing.

"If only you cooperated with Clyde, Hal, _none _of this would be happening!", Bill says. "But now you'll be losing not only your ranch, but Royce will be losing his casino & hotel, not to mention his lady love! And pretty soon, those friends of yours will _also _be taking a one-way trip they ain't gonna return from! The worst part? It'll _all _be on _your _head – yours _and _Daphne's!"

"If you're gonna _kill _us, Bill, then just get it over with so I don't have to hear your treacherous _voice _no more!", Hal barked as Daphne kept her cold stare at him.

Bill saw no reason to continue arguing with a man & his wife who are about to die, so he nodded.

"As you wish, Hal", he said. "But this is going to hurt _me _more than the two of you."

"We'll just _bet!_", Daphne spat.

"On the count of three, boys!", Bill says as his men aimed their guns, cocking the hammers. "One…two…"

At that moment, an arrow trio were shot forth & struck three guns aimed at Hal & Daphne, knocking them out of their hands & landing many feet away. The group turned to see Merida Fleming & the rest of her party rushing in on their faithful steeds, with Elsa Sugimoto's guns aimed as she fired a stream of her ice between Bill's men & Daphne & Hal, separating & sparing them an execution. Elsa even knocked the rocket launcher out of a man's hands, encasing it in solid ice.

_No, no, no, no…they aren't supposed to _be _here, let alone _find _this place!_, Bill thought.

"Well, what are you _waiting _for?! _Get them!_", Bill shouted, stirring the men to work.

Bill's men scrambled & re-aimed their guns at the approaching cavalry as _they _scrambled themselves: Maximus & Angus carried their riders (Elsa, Anna, Merida & Rapunzel) over towards the canyon, dealing with & disarming all of Clyde's people along the way with ease. Kristoff & Eugene give them cover as they (with Sven) take care of goons who aim their guns at Maximus & Angus. Maui & Moana do the same on Flower, knocking down men wherever they were with their fighting prowess, which Clyde's goons were no match for.

From their vantage points in the canyon, Clyde's people aimed their guns & shot forth at the approaching Angus & Maximus. The Clydesdale & Andalusian dodged & weaved each shot with ease & gave both Elsa & Merida a perfect angle for them to fire their weapons. Switching arrows from her quiver, Merida aimed & launched her first one…

Straight into the opening of a lookout point where it exploded with a mighty blast, killing all inside.

Merida fired another one, scoring a second direct hit & deadly explosion within.

Elsa fired her ice into a trio of areas, freezing the inside & turning it too cold for those to bear.

Both ladies continue their assault until they could hear people inside the canyon shouting.

"_We give up! We surrender! Just don't shoot us anymore! Please!_"

Luckily for them, their pleas were heard from where they stood.

Merida used a pen-shaped device that acts like a loudspeaker.

"_Get _your buttocks out of that canyon _now!_ And you all _better _be unarmed!", Merida warned.

Pocketing her portable mic, Merida aimed her arrow at the men which began coming out of the canyon's opening at the base, their hands raised. Each of them was unarmed as they hoped.

Elsa & Merida kept their weapons trained on them just in case.

Seeing his men falling like dominoes to Elsa & Merida's friends, Bill Sidewinder gave a last-ditch effort to even the score: aiming his guns at Sven & Flower, Bill cocked the hammer to put a bullet in each animal before doing the same to their riders.

Behind him, several _other _guns were also cocked & Bill turned to see Hal, Daphne & the rest of their people all gathered round, their guns aimed directly at him.

_None _of them look pleased to see him.

"_Drop _it, Bill! _Now_…before _I _forget you & I were once friends!", Hal barked.

"And if _Hal _doesn't shoot you, then _I'll _do it!", Daphne barked. "You _know _I will!"

Faced with certain death, Bill had no choice but to throw down his shooting irons & raise his hands.

Royce pulled up in his pickup truck as he, Tamika & Elinor stepped out to see the conclusion of the battle.

The sight of seeing the bad guys defeated by their friends brought a grin to their faces.

In minutes, the rest of Clyde's people were rounded up & tied tightly with rope the cowboys brought with them.

All except Bill Sidewinder: with guns pointed at him in every direction, he dared not move a muscle as Hal has some things to ask of him.

"Now Bill…care to tell us as to _why _you & Clyde were so anxious to keep us all away from this area?"

Bill remained silent.

"No matter…we'll just discover for ourselves!", Daphne said. ""Boys…tie _him _up as well & keep a close eye on his band of skunks here till we get back! If _any _of them does anything stupid…you know what to do!"

"No sooner said than done, Daphne!", said one man as he & the rest gathered round their captives & aimed their guns, just waiting for an excuse to fire.

"Let's take you & your party inside that canyon & see what we can find, Royce", Hal said.

"Nothing _we'd _like better, Hal", Royce replied as the group made their way into the canyon entrance where all of Clyde's men came out of. It was a jagged entrance but more than wide enough to allow even the animals passage & never once touching the surfaces. When they get closer to the exit, they all hear a very familiar sound.

_Could it be…?_, Hal thought, moving faster as the others followed suit.

Hal's prediction came true: when the group emerged into the open again, they saw a great open field filled with cattle that were busy munching on the grass that grew within. Everywhere they looked was a four-legged heifers in an abundance too great to count.

"All of our missing cattle…the ones that Sauron _didn't _devour!", Daphne says.

"But we remember that your cattle started disappearing even _before _Sauron emerged!", Kristoff said.

"That's right, Kristoff!", Hal said. "It was _Clyde _all along who started making our food supply vanish, getting an early start so that we couldn't pay for our property when the deadline came! He wanted to be _sure _we'd miss the next payment so he could take our land, ranch & everything in it! If only we'd discovered it sooner!"

"You should _still _be able to make it for this month in time now that we _found _this herd!", Maui said.

"Quite possibly, Maui! With our cattle found, we can use the money to rebuild our ranch, & if what you folks told us about _Sauron _is true about him being killed…"

"It _is _true, Hal!", Moana said. "We'll give you the full details at a later time, but you can rest assured that dinosaur is no longer a threat to us or anyone else!"

"And with you & Daphne saving your ranch, Royce here can _also _open his casino & hotel as originally planned!", Anna said. "Let's just hope that those reservations weren't deleted!"

"They weren't, Anna", Royce said. "Even though everyone who booked a reservation each asked for them to be cancelled, I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"You still held onto that hope of a successful opening, did you?", asked Eugene as Royce nodded.

"You made the _right_ choice", Elinor said. "With the enemies defeated & the cattle accounted for, neither you nor Hal will have to worry about losing _either _of your properties _or _business. _You _boys may not be ruined, but that slippery snake Clyde Winchester most certainly _is!_"

"Especially when Bill _testifies _to the authorities about him & all his dealings!", Elsa adds.

The group cheered happily at Elsa's statement.

Unbeknownst to them, Clyde Winchester managed to escape the melee by viewing the battle at a safe distance as his men did the dirty work. While most of his men surrendered, there were six others that didn't, & like Clyde himself, they climb to the top of the canyon to get a birds-eye view of the landscape below. Clyde climbed by himself, with his six men split into two groups of three, each taking a different position. Each of them were carrying sniper rifles capable of hitting a target from more than 300 meters away.

Clyde's orders were to start picking them off once they were set.

Getting to the top & listening to their conversation via hidden microphones placed within, Clyde took it all in by an earpiece, capturing every word spoken.

It made his blood boil like never before.

_We'll _see _about that, kids!_, Clyde thought with utmost disgust. _Yeah…I may be ruined, but _you _fools won't be so lively & cheerful once you take a direct hit to the head!_

Peering into his scope, Clyde has Elsa Sugimoto dead in his sights.

_And I think I'll start with _you_…little miss Elsa Sugimoto of the Mechagodzilla crew!_, Clyde thought.

His finger on the trigger, Clyde straightens his aim & gets ready to shoot, same as with his men now that _they've _acquired _their _targets.

Grins of the most malevolent grew on their faces, seeing their chance to even the score.

Slight noises from behind made them turn.

Clyde & his men wanted to scream, but their voices got stuck in their throats & wouldn't work: Godzilla Junior, Gaira & Sanda rose up from behind as the brown Gargantua shoved three of Clyde's men off the cliff to their deaths, with Junior doing the same to Clyde himself.

Only then did their vocal chords work as they fell screaming at the top of their lungs, their graves rushing up to meet them.

The last three managed to re-aim their rifles & fire back at Gaira, their bullets hitting him dead-on.

Unfortunately, they were like popcorn on his flesh & bounced off harmlessly.

None of the men noticed or cared as they continued firing, hoping to at least drive him away.

It didn't work either: Gaira was unaffected in every way by the barrage, but _was _getting rather annoyed. Raising a mighty fist, he brought it down on the three men in the blink of an eye, smashing them & a portion of the cliff as the rocks they stood on tumbled to the ground below. Cattle that were grazing grass there moved slightly to avoid getting crushed.

Hal, Daphne & the rest looked up in time to see the monster trio deliver sentencing to Clyde Winchester & the remainder of his men. They briefly looked away when Gaira delivered a harsher form of punishment.

With Clyde & his party disposed of, the monsters turned their attention to the humans down at ground level.

It made Hal & Daphne nervous, & their friends could see it.

"Hal, Daphne, just take it easy", Maui calmly told them, using hand signals to punctuate his statement.

"Let's do what he says, Hal", Daphne says. "We don't want to do anything to provoke them further…especially now that we've found the missing cattle."

"You're right, Daphne", Hal said. "We _just _found these heifers, & we don't want to lose them again."

Hal, Daphne & the rest stare up at the monsters as they do the same in return.

Gaira & Sanda stare directly at Merida & Elinor Fleming, remembering the redhead Scottish human & her mother, along with their black Clydesdale horse & recalling the times they shared, from when they reunited them as siblings to the times in London, Moscow & Osaka. Godzilla Junior stared at Elsa Sugimoto, his mind going back to the moments in Nagoya & Saiko Lake, recalling when she assisted him during those crucial times when he was attacked by Biollante & the Plesiosaurus/Rhamphorhynchus the past two years.

Junior, unlike the elder Godzilla, has no resentment towards the Snow Queen but is in fact _fascinated _by Elsa in a similar manner to that of a learning child, which in most ways, Junior basically is.

_That's right, Junior. Maybe, just maybe…_, Elsa thought hopefully, smiling softly.

"Hal, perhaps we'd better back out of here slowly", Royce suggested. "If those three don't see _us_ as a threat, then maybe…"

"You're right, Royce", Hal replied. "Folks, let's all carefully & quickly make our way out of this canyon. If they see us leaving peacefully, we can avoid a catastrophe & _not _end up like Clyde & his boys."

Everyone nodded & did as Hal suggests: making their way to the canyon entrance in an almost casual way, the group went through the tunnel & came out into the open area where Hal's cowboys were still watching over the traitor Bill & his posse, all of whom were tied up good & tight.

Neither Gaira, Sanda nor Godzilla Junior tried impeding their progress.

"Hal, Daphne…we heard gunshots followed by screams in there! You folks okay?", asked one man as Hal came at his boys.

"We're dandy, Mel", Hal says. "Clyde & a few of his boys were still roaming about, wanting to pick us all off I imagined, but they've been dealt with…by the most _unusual _way, let me tell you."

Mel & the others seemed confused by Hal's statement.

"How 'unusual' are we talking about, Hal?", asked a man.

As if in answer to his question, Gaira, Sanda & Godzilla Junior made their way around the canyon, appearing at nearly the same time Hal's party exited the tunnel entrance. Their appearance made cowboy & captive nervous.

"Easy, guys", Daphne warned. "Let's all play it cool: they could've sentenced _us _to the same fate as Clyde & his men, but they didn't."

Hal & Elinor's group nodded, & the cowboys did as suggested.

"What's _that?_", said one man, pointing to an object in the air which was quickly approaching their position.

Mothra could be seen in the distance as her appearance became larger in view by the second. She flew in & like a giant helium balloon on a string, hovered in one spot as she chirped in intervals at the monster trio. Godzilla Junior, Gaira & Sanda did the same with grunts & small growls as the two Gargantuas also used hand signals & movements of heads in a 'yes or no' manner. Everyone on the ground watched as the four creatures had a conversation that lasted for a good minute or two, wondering what they were saying.

Then, as abruptly as they arrived, the monsters started being on their way but _not _before taking a last look over at Elinor's party. Mothra gazed over at Eugene & Rapunzel Benice, followed by Maui & Moana Kealoha. Ever since battling the original Hedorah, Dagarah & Manu Ahi 3,000 years ago to the time when Mother Gothel was resurrected as a dragon in 1788, the giant lepidopteran remembered those that stood by her side & even saved her from the brink of death more than once. Like the gargantuan siblings with Merida Fleming & her family, Mothra shares a connection to her soulmate humans that have stood the tests of time into the present.

Both Benice husband & wife & Kealoha brother & sister share her sentiments.

Godzilla Junior couldn't help but to look at Elsa Sugimoto again, along with Kristoff, Anna & Sven.

Each of them – animals included – smiled back, feeling warm in their presence.

Finally, they roared/chirped in victory & happiness before turning & heading off in a southern direction.

Hal's party was amazed at seeing the monsters up close & personal, having only seen them previously on TV & other types of media.

"Lord Almighty!", Mel said. "You mean to say that _those _monsters…"

"That's right, Mel", Daphne says. "We may have discovered the missing cattle on our own, but Gaira, Sanda _and _Godzilla Junior were the ones to put an end to Clyde & his foul band, while _also _preventing our assassinations. They've each used their brains as efficiently as most human beings – and they certainly weren't shy about displaying it either."

"That's right, honey", Hal adds. "While most people may not _realize _it, those giant critters are smarter than we've ever given them credit for."

Mel & several of the cowboys get into a private conversation, mumbling to each other.

"Say, uh Hal, I know it'd be rather _awkward _to announce it & all, but…", Mel started as Hal, Daphne & Elinor's party began giggling softly.

"Go _ahead_, boys…spit it out!", Moana says, grinning.

On Rapunzel's shoulder, Pascal gave them a hand signal that said 'all right, boys…_out _with it'.

"Uh, well…", Mel began as the other boys joined in on the next part.

"Who _were _those masked monsters, anyway?", they said in unison.

The group laughed softly as Mothra, Gaira, Sanda & Godzilla Junior went on their way.

And it wasn't even sundown yet.

_The Manuelito Casino & Hotel, Friday, 8:00 p.m.:_

In the days that followed, a lot of activity occurred: Bill Sidewinder & his band of skunks were taken over to Hal & Daphne's ranch via Royce's pickup which had more than enough room to place them all in the back & placed inside of the stable as Maximus, Sven, Angus, Flower & the other steeds kept close watch on them until the authorities could be called the next day. Hal was stating that Bill was going to relay everything about Clyde Winchester's crimes from stealing cattle in trying to swindle Hal, Daphne & Royce of their payments to their properties, & so forth.

Bill tried to be defiant & stated back that he would do no such thing…until Merida grabbed the man & shoved him up against the wall, snarling at him like an angry dog. The traitorous cowboy was _very _surprised at how physically _strong _Merida Fleming is, & he wasn't alone.

Merida held him up with both arms as Eugene stated to Bill that maybe he should _rethink _his answer.

Seeing no trace of sympathy on anyone's faces, Bill nodded & said he'll tell them _everything_.

In the between time, Elsa & her friends got in touch with their families, stating that the emergency with Sauron was over, offering them all a huge pang of relief. In turn, they contacted General Danielle Hale of the situation who, in turn, notified President Hillary Clinton that Sauron was no longer a menace in Arizona or anywhere else. Clinton then ordered General Hale to have drones finding the yellow-skinned dinosaur, which she did.

They caught the body of Sauron lying next to the ruins of Spearhead in the Tohono O'Odham Nation Reservation, his upper jaw stretched back & halfway to kissing his rear cranium. Soon afterwards, Gaira, Sanda, Mothra & Godzilla Junior arrived as the two gargantuan siblings took hold of the dinosaur's corpse & headed further southwest until they entered the Gulf of California, where the U.S. Coast Guard could take over in keeping track of the monsters.

Satisfied they were leaving American soil, President Clinton lifted the quarantine state on Arizona.

People in the Grand Canyon State & all across America cheered upon hearing the news.

The next morning, the authorities came to the Robbins Butte Game Preserve & questioned Bill Sidewinder about his dealings with Clyde Winchester.

Bill sang like a bird, leaving nothing out.

When Hal requested the Captain of this party to be present at his trial once it gets arranged, he happily agreed as having him & his wife there will serve the courtroom with viable witnesses.

Royce & Tamika also agreed to attend once it's set up, also getting approval from the Captain.

He mentioned it could take until the end of July, but judging from what Bill told him & his men, it was a surefire bet that Bill Sidewinder & his group will be facing many years in prison, if not life.

That possibility made everyone happy beyond words that Bill won't be a problem any more than Sauron will.

Handcuffed & hauled out by the authorities, Bill looked down as he was being taken away & placed in the back of a patrol van. Not once did he make eye contact with Hal, Daphne or anybody else the whole time: they stared at him like they were the devil themselves.

Before departing, the Captain mentioned to Hal that Animal Control will be glad to assist him & all his friends in getting the stolen cattle back to his ranch.

Hal, Daphne & the rest were proud to accept their assistance.

The Animal Control arrived close to an hour later, & everyone – including Elsa & company – were ready to get back what is rightfully theirs. For two-three days straight, the cattle that were placed in the circular canyon in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge were directed into Hal's ranch until the holding pens were full. Those that remained at the refuge would stay there – until more were needed.

One patrolman – a woman, actually – asked Eugene & Rapunzel for an autograph, having recognized them.

Husband & wife were all too delighted to oblige with her request, with several others asking for the same.

Hal & everyone else grinned with joy at the display.

For the next day, the group called for a memorial service to all those lost when Sauron attacked the ranch, killing several good people including Stu & Ned, both of whom died in fiery blasts – one from helicopter, the other literally by his own hands. The ceremony was an emotional one, as people Hal & Daphne knew for many years were gone in an instant from a creature that was resurrected over a century-&-a-half ago by the ancient Navajo Indians to stop another threat until it turned on them.

During the ceremony, Elsa & Merida wished they could've done more to prevent Sauron from tearing up the ranch as he did, but Hal, Daphne & even their own family members told both ladies that what occurred at the ranch was in no way, shape or form their fault.

A simple hug from sister & mother was all Elsa & Merida needed to be convinced.

After the ceremony, they had a little celebration of dancing & music in honor of the fallen, with Maui, Moana & their friends being the main attractions & turning the festivities into the most memorable yet.

It's what Stu, Ned & the others who died would've wanted.

Finally, the big day came when the monthly payments for both the Robbins Butte Game preserve _and _Manuelito Casino & Hotel were due, but neither Hal nor Royce were worried: with the cattle all rounded up, they both have more than enough money to pay what they owe, with money to spare.

But on _this _particular Friday evening, paying debts was only _part _of what's on the minds of both Royce Bidziil & Tamika Nizhoni: there was still the matter of how Maui Kealoha was able to project lightning bolts straight from his hands, not to mention how Rapunzel was able to completely heal Royce after the near-fatal injuries he received when he took on Sauron…and with no more than her own _hair_, no less!

Elinor said it _was _time for the beans to be spilled.

She only had _one _condition: that Hal & Daphne Jenkins were to join them, as they wanted to fill _those _two in on what they're going to reveal.

Knowing Hal had to be at the hotel to help Royce with the payments anyway, Royce & Tamika agreed.

They stated that Hal & Daphne will be arriving by 8:00.

Sitting in Royce's office, Rosie announced that their guests have arrived.

Giving Rosie his thanks, Royce asked for them to join him in his office.

Hal opened the door to the office as he & Daphne stepped inside, closing it afterwards.

"Guess you wanted to get an early start on making the payments, Royce", Hal said.

"That's only _part _of why you & Daphne are here tonight, Hal", Tamika said. "Elsa & her friends were very much _adamant _on having you both here tonight."

"Whatever for, Tamika?", Daphne asked.

"I think it's best we let _them _explain."

Royce, Tamika, Hal & Daphne turned their attention to their friends.

It was Maui who got things started.

"Last week, right before Sauron attacked, we could tell that you didn't believe in anything associated with magic & the like, correct?", he says.

Daphne looked to her husband, who nodded.

"I didn't, I admit", he says. "But that was _before _I had actually _seen _Sauron in the flesh. When I was growing up, I was taught by my parents to never believe in anything you can't see for yourself, & accept the things that you _can _see with your very own eyes. They also taught me to be truthful in what you say & do to myself along with others, & never doubt your senses. Living in a world where giant monsters like Godzilla exist, I guess I should've been more open to Ned when he brought that T-Rex up. What a _fool _I was not to listen better to him."

"Hal, like you told us during the memorial ceremony, you're not to blame for what happened to Ned", Kristoff says. "And he wouldn't want you to _keep_ blaming yourself over it."

Daphne & the rest nodded, knowing Kristoff was correct.

"Point taken, partner", Hal says.

"But it _is _good to know that you can accept the fact that Sauron was real, Hal Jenkins", Elinor said. "Which brings us to the _next _part of our conversation."

"Next part?", Hal & Daphne asked.

"At this point, it's best to simply _show _you people what my Mum meant. Maui, if you would be so kind…?", says Merida, turning to the demigod.

Nodding, Maui placed his hands so that his palms & fingers were facing the ceiling.

Both cowboys nearly jumped out of their skins when they witness first-hand small strands of electric voltage emerge from the tips of Maui's fingers, keeping them lit for several seconds before ceasing their charge.

Hal & Daphne needed close to a minute before either could speak.

"How…how long were you able to _do _that, Maui?", Hal asked.

"Since the day I was born", Maui said. "But the _origin_ of my power goes back _centuries_."

"And my brother Maui isn't the _only _one with magical abilities, Hal", Moana said, facing Elsa.

Nodding, Elsa gave the quartet a little demonstration of her power by directing her right hand at Royce's desk & creating sculptures of ice right in front of them: a cowboy & Indian side-by-side, weapons & all. She even created both a ranch building & teepee out of ice. Royce, Tamika, Hal & Daphne each picked up a sculpture to be certain it _was _real ice…and they were convinced as they held the cold statues in hand.

Placing them down again, Elsa used her power to retract & made them disappear in a heartbeat.

The stunned quartet were able to make a deduction as Daphne was the one to say it orally.

"Those _guns_ you use, Elsa…they're _hollow_, aren't they?", she says.

"Got it right on the first try, Daphne", Elsa said. "The power _never _came from them…it comes from _me_. As with Maui & even Rapunzel, I was _born _with my ability."

"What ability do _you _have, Rapunzel?", Hal asked.

It was Royce that answered.

"Her hair can actually _heal wounds_, Hal", he says. "After my duel with Sauron, I was so weak & badly injured I felt I was going to die. And I _would _have, were it not for Rapunzel: all she did was place my hand on her head as she started singing a certain song. It glowed a golden hue, & its magic actually _healed _me…from head to toe!"

"We'd be _burying _Royce along with those that Sauron killed at the ranch if not for what Rapunzel did", Tamika says as Royce nodded. "For _that_, along with helping to defend your ranch, we are forever _grateful_. But we _do _need to know, above all else…"

"Who exactly _are _you people?", Hal & Daphne asked simultaneously, echoing Royce & Tamika's very question.

"All right, folks…who here wants to go first?", Eugene asked.

"_We'll _start it off, Eugene", Moana says, indicating her & Maui. "It's a bunch of stories that intermingle into one, but we have plenty of time to explain everything to you. We have until midnight, after all."

Getting comfortable, Maui & Moana began explaining to their friends the truth about themselves.

Hal, Royce & their two ladies absorbed every word.

**CHAPTER X**

_The Manuelito Casino & Hotel, Tuesday, July 4__th__, Independence Day, 11:45 a.m.:_

The explanation Moana & company promised them amazingly took only about under two hours, giving all the details as if they were reliving their own experiences. When they finished, Hal, Daphne, Royce & Tamika took several minutes for them to absorb it all & allow it to sink in. Each of them went over their stories as accurately as they recalled them, just to see if they got everything right.

Each of them told the quartet they were correct in reviewing it themselves.

Moana was _also _correct that their stories intertwined & connected with each other's.

When Daphne asked why they wanted her & Hal to be filled in on their secret origins, Elinor stated because they trust them deeply, just as they do Royce & Tamika: even if they _hadn't _witnessed Maui using his power when Royce fended off Sauron & absorbing the lightning bolts as he did, they _still _would entrust their secrets to them.

It was even _more _inevitable, now that Royce has accepted his role as medicine man, making him something of a kindred spirit to Rapunzel, Elsa _and _Maui.

Both Navajo & cowboy couples were overwhelmed with amazement & flattery, having given them their stories of origin to them & entrusting each one to keep it confidential from everyone else.

Having similar attributes _and _mixed in with the fact that these people from centuries past came to their aides at the most critical of times, Hal, Daphne, Royce & Tamika agreed.

Daphne also wanted to _thank _their new friends for choosing _them_ to entrust with their secrets.

Anna stated it was the least they could do, getting warm grins from all.

When midnight came, the people that came to collect were paid in full, sealing the deal & keeping each property in the hands of their rightful owners.

Nodding their thanks for keeping their deadlines, the people who came for the mortgage wished them all a good night & went on their way.

Payments fulfilled aside, they needed to get their beauty rest.

It became July 1st, which is the big day for the Manuelito Casino & Hotel to be officially open for business.

As luck would have it, those that asked for a cancellation at the hotel due to the danger of Sauron called back & asked if they could reclaim them. Royce was happy to let them know that he _never _deleted _any _of the reservations that he received before the dinosaur appeared, giving the people a great sign of relief & very glad to be a part of the opening ceremony which was to take place at noon.

The place was packed with people waiting in the parking lot for Royce to use a pair of giant scissors to cut the ribbon that was in front of the main entrance. Photographers were at the front line, their cameras aimed & ready to take as many pics of the event as they could.

Finally, Royce stepped out with said scissors in hand as Tamika joined him at his side.

Both looked dazzling in their Navajo outfits with a modern-day look to them.

With both taking a handle, Royce & Tamika declared the casino & hotel officially open for business as they cut the ribbon together. A huge round of applause erupted from the crowd which not only included Elinor & company, but also Hal, Daphne & their cow folk.

It was an event they wouldn't miss for the world!

Royce & Tamika urged everyone inside to get themselves settled into their rooms before enjoying the festivities the newly-opened building has to offer: everything from slot machines to video game consoles & other family-friendly activities for younger patrons. Music was in no short supply: a dancing room gave patrons the chance to show off their skills, & the karaoke machine Eugene & Rapunzel Benice fixed offered anyone the opportunity to perform like their favorite artists.

Elinor, Hal & the rest couldn't contain themselves any longer, & they too joined in on the festivities along with everyone else.

They all had a _glorious _time on their first day, & it was only the beginning: for the next two days, the hotel came into a patriotic feel to fit in with the Independence Day holiday, doing shows/performances that aligned with America's patriotism & honoring those that fought & died in keeping the country's freedom for nearly two-&-a-half centuries ever since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 by John Hancock & 55 other delegates from the 13 colonies which were once part of the British Empire.

Now it was the Fourth of July itself, & the stage was getting ready for its special celebration in which Royce had planned for many months. Having Eugene, Rapunzel & their friends joining in helped immensely, as the Benice pair had their 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' team flown from New York to participate in this day's celebration. Even Stephanie Beatrice, along with Patricia & Nathan Benice would be part of the activities, but _only _for the 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' segment of the show.

For the remainder, they will be sitting in the crowd like everyone else.

At 15 minutes before showtime, Moana & company were in a spot backstage with Royce, Tamika, Daphne & Hal as they prepare for the day's events.

"Fifteen minutes, Royce! I can hardly _contain_ myself!", Tamika said excitedly.

"I know, Tamika!", Royce says. "How I've _waited _for this moment to come! And with a record-breaking crowd on opening weekend, our people won't be suffering as they've been for much longer once they start receiving the money that's poured in already! See? I _told _you it'd work!"

Tamika's smile turned into a sad frown, worrying him & the rest.

"Tamika…what's wrong?", asked Anna. "Aren't you happy about the payoff?"

"Of that I _am_, Anna. It's just that…", Tamika says, turning to Royce. "I was so _wrong _to try & convince you to drop your idea, Royce. You were _right _before: our people _needed _a miracle to end their suffering, & I wanted you to give it up so that you can become what you were meant to be – a medicine man. I've learned that while it's important to know where your roots lay in the past, it's _equally _important to look ahead towards the future. My head was buried too deep in the former to pay more attention the latter."

Tamika gave herself a moment to swallow the lump in her throat before she continued.

"I really never doubted you about your casino idea, Royce. _That _wasn't what scared me the most."

"What _did _scare you the most about it?", Royce wondered.

"I was scared that you would _fail_ in your dream, that's all. I should've had more faith in your idea, but most of all…I should've had more faith in _you_."

Royce was stunned by Tamika's words: in all that time when she shunned his casino & hotel plan to help their people, Royce _never _knew she held support for it, even though she wouldn't announce it out loud.

Tamika felt ashamed by her actions, & her facial expression says it all.

"I doubt Royce would hold it against you, Tamika", said a voice from afar.

Everyone turned to see a familiar face to the group, one in an electronic wheelchair.

"The shaman!", Elinor & her party replied as said man strolled up to them with a click.

"Like yourself, this young man was _always _too stubborn for his own good", the shaman says, smiling. "But _also _like you, Tamika, he always _did _have a caring heart – especially for his fellow Navajo. It's why you two were _made _for each other."

Both young Navajos looked at each other & smiled, knowing he was right.

"Hello, shaman!", Elinor says. "Although your arrival here _is _unexpected, it's still _good _to see you again!"

"Thank you, Elinor Fleming. I _had _to be here on this day: like some of the other guests that arrived, I was once a veteran of World War II. In fact, I was one of the Code Breakers during the Battle of Midway in early June of 1942 that helped America turn the tide against Japan, thus scoring that major victory for our country & win in the end only three years & two months later. I remained in service until after the war, when I received a medal of honor for my services & an honorable discharge before returning home a hero."

"But even after his services in the war, he'd never forgotten who he is or what his true calling was", Royce told his friends. "It's something _I _should've taken more seriously _before_ Tamika was taken by Clyde's men…and I nearly _lost _her in the process because of my foolishness."

"'Nearly' doesn't account for 'did', Royce", Tamika said. "And you _did _fall into & accept the role in time to save not just me & our friends, but also this country by helping to rid it of a great horror. That in itself is something to be proud of."

Royce knew she was correct, so he didn't bother to hide or deny it.

"How true, Tamika", he says. "When something is part of your birthright and/or heritage, it's better to just accept it than to avoid it."

Royce turns to face the shaman.

"Isn't that right…grandfather?", he says, smiling.

This bit of discovery shocked Moana & her friends.

"_Grandfather?!_", they all said in unison with agape facial expressions.

Hal, Daphne, both young Navajos & the old shaman chuckled.

"Yes, I am Royce's grandfather…something he, Tamika, Hal & Daphne neglected to mention", the old shaman said with a smile. "My name is Jeremiah, & they figured since _you _people withheld secrets from _them_, they felt it best to keep certain ones from _you _until they felt you all could be trusted with this information. Needless to say, their hopes were met with high standards."

"Touche!", the group said with grins.

Each of them disappeared from their faces when something weighed on their minds.

"Jeremiah, when you said 'since _we _kept secrets from _them_', does that somehow mean that _you _know about…", Maui wondered.

"Indeed, Maui Kealoha", Jeremiah said. "I know that your friends – sans Moana & yourself – are from the past who have been reawakened & thrown here into the future, while the two of you are living descendants from the _original _demigod & voyager from over 3,000 years ago. As to how I _know _of this, it wasn't from these four: it was from…an old associate I've been consulting with for many years once I made contact with the spirit world. I believe _you _know of him well, Kristoff Sugimoto…he & his people _did _raise you, after all."

The answer hit Kristoff & the rest immediately.

"Pabbie!", the outdoorsman said. "You've been consulting with Grand Pabbie all these years!"

Jeremiah smiled & nodded.

"_That's _how you've known of us!", said Eugene. "You've always _been _aware of our arrival from that day forth _because _of Pabbie!"

"Correct, Eugene Benice", Jeremiah said. "And for the most part, you've all done _exceptionally _well in adapting to this modern world you arrived in, from being taken in by kind people, bearing their last names, making new friends, seeing & visiting other countries, & helping to save this planet of ours from certain doom – with assistance from the Earth's monsters, & then some. All of you have been through a lot together before & after you came here, & that will only continue to thrive & prosper from this point forward."

"And know that if you folks _ever _need us for anything, do not hesitate to ask no matter what or where you're at", Daphne adds as Hal & the two young Navajos nodded.

"Whatever gets placed in our way, we'll _always _be ready to face it – together!", Moana said.

"I don't doubt it for a moment, Moana Kealoha." Jeremiah turned to his grandson. "And Royce? I expect to see a _grandchild _from you & Tamika sometime soon."

The two Navajos faced each other with passionate looks.

"We'll make sure you don't wait long, grandfather", Royce said.

Elsa, Merida, Rapunzel & the rest smile in anticipation of Royce & Tamika becoming parents.

Mel suddenly came up to the group.

"Hey Hal, everyone's wondering where you & Daphne are! The show's about to start!", he says.

Checking their watches, the group saw that it was close to noon.

"Oh, thanks for the reminder, Mel!", Hal says, addressing his friends. "Let's get cracking, everyone…we've got one honey of a show to do today!"

Nodding, everyone rushed off to get to their places.

_Noon:_

Mostly everyone went backstage to get ready for the day's performance except for Elinor, Tamika & Jeremiah, all of whom went to the table in the audience where Stephanie, Patricia & Nathan reserved at, each of whom were now getting ready backstage. Rosie & all of the other servants were giving the guests plates of delicious pasta to enjoy before the show even started. Side dishes of potatoes, rice, vegetables & other scrumptious foods were also served, & glasses of their choice of beverage were available on carts.

Most were finished when Royce Bidziil came on stage & was greeted with applause as he waved to his guests in his dazzling Indian tuxedo of light tan with matching shoes.

Standing in the center of the stage, Royce spoke into the microphone placed on its stand.

"Welcome & good afternoon, ladies & gentlemen…and a _very _Happy Fourth of July to you all!"

He was greeted by more applause before resuming.

"On this Independence Day 2017, we have a very special treat for you: ever since the American Revolution which reigned from 1765 to 1783, Indians have fought for their homeland from invasions that also included the War of 1812, the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, the Spanish-American War of 1898, World War I & II, the Korean War, Vietnam & even the Gulf War. Some primary examples are as follows: Tyonajanegen, an Oneida Indian, fought alongside with her husband of Dutch accent during the American Revolution's Battle of Oriskany; Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, guided Lewis & Clark on their western expedition from 1804 to 1805; in World War I, 600 Oklahoma Choctaw & Cherokee men saw action in France in the Texas 124th Infantry, their bravery widely recognized; in World War II, the Navajo language was used to confuse the Japanese during the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, & when the Battle of Iwo Jima was fought in February to March of 1945, a Pima Indian named Ira Hayes was one of six marines to raise the American flag on Mount Suribachi; Cheyenne-American politician Ben Nighthorse Campbell served in the Korean War, as did Vice Admiral Joseph 'Jocko' Clark, a Cherokee who was a commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet."

Royce paused a moment for all that information to sink in with the audience.

"That, ladies & gentlemen, is but a small list of what the Native Americans did for our country", he resumed. "To this day, they still serve in every branch of our country's armed services, working & fighting just as hard as anybody else who enlisted then & now, & _this_ is what we're here to honor on this day, along with this land's independence that was founded in 1776. Our show will be to the memory of each & every Native American – some of which have joined us here in the audience – who fought for this great country of ours, with many of them making the ultimate sacrifice."

Everybody gave a moment of silence to say a prayer to those that died protecting their motherland.

It included Jeremiah & all the other Indian soldiers that once served in World War II, Korean & even Vietnam wars, along with their immediate families that have joined them.

"So, without further ado, we begin today's show with numbers from a movie that turns 75 this year, which starred the one & only James Cagney – Yankee Doodle Dandy!", Royce concludes as the audience clapped before he made his way off stage to let the festivities begin.

Like they did in NYC, Stephanie Beatrice, the Benice family & their crew gave a marvelous performance even if it was on short notice: those who had tickets to see the show in NYC would be flown down free of charge to see it at Royce's hotel – with their rooms already paid for by Stephanie, Patricia & Nathan.

Anyone who couldn't make the trip despite the benefits were granted a full refund with no questions asked.

The result? Most agreed, with some politely declining & asked for the refund with no hard feelings.

It was just as wonderful a show in Arizona as it was in Manhattan!

Everyone was enthralled by the performances that lasted a bit over an hour, with Eugene Benice doing the final number. It was the last act which was his personal favorite, dressed up in a black tux, top hat & round bifocals over his eyes as he does his imitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt like James Cagney did in the movie.

This number, 'Off the Record', was part of George M. Cohan's Broadway show 'I'd Rather Be Right'.

Eugene gave a grand performance that _would _make both Cohan _and _Cagney proud as the music began:

It's really a wonderful job

For fellows like George, Abe & me, too

It's great to shake hands with the mob

And to hold every kid on your knee, too

Every word that I speak goes in the headlines

When I speak, all the papers hold their deadlines

But I've found a way of dropping a hint

Or a glint of the truth that the boys cannot print

For instance…for instance…

When I was called by Eleanor, I told her Uncle Teddy

I wouldn't run for president unless the job was steady

Don't print it, it's strictly off the record

We entertained the royalty, but we were never flustered

We gave them Yankee hot dogs with Coleman's English mustard

Don't print it, it's strictly off the record

It's pleasant at the White House, but I'll tell you how I feel

The food is simply terrible, just sauerkraut & veal

If Mrs. R would stay at home, I'd get a decent meal

But that's…off the record

(A musical interlude came on as Eugene danced in true James Cagney fashion before continuing on vocals)

When I go up to Hyde Park, it's not for just the ride there

It's not that I _like_ Hyde Park, but I'd love to park & hide there

Don't print it, it's strictly off the record

I sit up in my study, writing gags for Mr. Icky's

And insults for the gentlemen who love to slip a Mickey's

Don't print that…off the record

(A second interlude commenced with Eugene dancing before he finishes up the number)

I scrubbed the Prohibition act when we required a bracer

And finished up to Boulder Dan to give the boys a chaser

Don't print it, it's strictly off the record

And for my friends in Washington who complain about the taxes

Who cares, as long as we can knock the axe out of the Axis

Don't print it, it's strictly off the record

I can't forget how Lafayette helped give us our first chance

To win our fight for Liberty, & now they've taken France

We'll take it _back_ from Hitler, & put _ants_ in his Ja-_pants_

And _that's_. For. The record!

A final little dance in accordance with the closing music, & Eugene Benice took a bow to a cheering audience before exiting the stage.

Stephanie, Patricia & Nathan will sit out for the rest of the show, with the crew doing additional work later.

They will be receiving a bonus for their participation.

Kristoff Sugimoto was up next, & he was even joined with Hal Jenkins , his wife Daphne & several of their cow folks as they performed instruments & backing vocals on several songs together from World War II that helped America gain a boost in confidence during their involvement. They did memorable tunes such as 'Bell Bottom Trousers', 'Run, Rabbit, Run', 'We're Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line' & this number which country star Red Foley did in 1944.

Working guitars of their own, Kristoff & Hal started things off with a perky country beat:

There will be a sad day comin' for the foes of all mankind

They must answer to the people & it's troubling their mind

Everybody who must fear them will rejoice on that great day

When the powers of dictators shall be taken all away

There'll be smoke on the water on the land & the sea

When our Army & Navy overtakes the enemy

There'll be smoke on the mountains where the Heathen Gods stay

And the sun that is risin' will go down on that day

For there is a great destroyer made of fire & flesh & steel

Rollin' toward the foes of freedom they'll go down beneath its wheels

There'll be nothing left but vultures to inhabit all that land

When our modern ships & bombers make a graveyard of Japan

There'll be smoke on the water on the land & the sea

When our Army & Navy overtakes the enemy

There'll be smoke on the mountains where the Heathen Gods stay

And the sun that is risin' will go down on that day

Hirohito 'long with Hitler will be ridin' on a rail

Mussolini'll beg for mercy, as a leader he has failed

But there'll be no time for pity when the Screamin' Eagle flies

That will be the end of Axis, they must answer with their lives

There'll be smoke on the water on the land & the sea

When our Army & Navy overtakes the enemy

There'll be smoke on the mountains where the Heathen Gods stay

And the sun that is risin' will go down on that day

(A musical interlude mostly done by a bugle horn commences before Kristoff & Hal finish the song's vocals)

There'll be smoke on the water on the land & the sea

When our Army & Navy overtakes the enemy

There'll be smoke on the mountains where the Heathen Gods stay

And the sun that is risin' will go down on that day

Kristoff, Hal & the rest get a round of applause as they make their way off the stage, waving their thanks to the audience.

Next up was Maui Kealoha, who does a more patriotic performance by doing songs such as Bruce Springsteen's 'Born In the USA', Neil Diamond's 'America', James Brown's 'Living in America' (one of his personal favorites), as he dressed in a red, white & blue tuxedo complete with top hat as Patricia, Nathan & Stephanie's crew provided backing vocals for each tune that required it.

Maui's final number originated from Johnny Cash's 1974 album 'Ragged Old Flag'.

A basically talkative song, Maui gets a patriotic music background as he tells the album's title track:

I walked through a county courthouse square

On a park bench an old man was sitting there

I said, your old courthouse is kinda run down

He said, naw, it'll do for our little town

I said, your old flagpole has leaned a little bit

And that's a ragged old flag you got hanging on it

He said, have a seat, & I sat down

Is this the first time you've been to our little town?

I said, I think it is

He said, I don't like to brag

But we're kinda proud of that ragged old flag

You see, we got a little hole in that flag there

When Washington took it across the Delaware

And it got powder-burned the night that Francis Scott Key

Sat watching it writing say can you see

And it got a bad rip in New Orleans

With Packingham & Jackson tuggin' at its seams

And it almost fell at the Alamo

Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville

And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill

There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard & Bragg

And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag

On Flanders field in World War One

She got a big hole from a Bertha gun

She turned blood red in World War Two

She hung limp & low a time or two

She was in Korea & Vietnam

She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam

She waved from our ships upon the Briny foam

And now they've about quit waving her back here at home

In her own good land here she's been abused

She's been burned, dishonored, denied & refused

And the government for which she stands

Is scandalized throughout the land

And she's getting threadbare & she's wearing thin

But she's in good shape for the shape she's in

'Cause she's been through the fire before

And I believe she can take a whole lot more

So we raise her up every morning, we take her down every night

We don't let her touch the ground, & we fold her up right

On second thought, I _do _like to brag

'Cause I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag

Maui was rewarded with a crowd-pleasing applause as he grinned hugely at his appreciation.

Removing his hat & bowing to the crowd, he waved them his thanks before making his way off the stage.

To everyone's amazement, Royce Bidziil came on stage & was joined by a returning Hal, Daphne & their cow folk as they returned in doing songs from the World War II era…but with a humorous side. In that period of time, many songs were created to poke fun at the Axis Powers ranging from 'Imagine the Maginot Line', 'This is the Army, Mr. Jones', & the like. Royce, Hal & their group did these & others, with most of them being from the hilarious & classical comedy team of Spike Jones & his City Slickers, doing hysterical numbers such as 'Little Bo Peep has Lost her Jeep', 'Casey Jones', & the ever-immortal 'Der Fuehrer's Face', which used a raspberry sound to display America's feelings towards Adolf Hitler himself.

Royce's next choice is this novelty song from Spike Jones, originally recorded in November 1944.

Like in the other songs they did, it starts off with silly sounds & music as Hal, Daphne & their friends provide backing vocals & sound effects in true comedic fashion as Royce did lead.

Tamika & the rest watching wore big grins of amusement as they began:

Pa started in 'a running

When he heard the whistle blow

The Postman brought a letter

An airmail from our Joe

It said 'I've come back safely

From across the ocean blue'

Then Pa took off Ma's apron

And he hollered out 'Yahoo!'

YOW!

Leave the dishes in the sink, Ma

Leave the dishes in the sink

Each dirty plate will have to wait

Tonight we're going to celebrate

Leave the dishes in the sink

Pa started in 'a jigging

And he cried 'Pa, shake a leg!

I'm going down the cellar

'Cause there's cider in the keg

The bolony's in the icebox

There's cheese & pickles, too

We'll call in all the neighbors

'Cause tonight's our night. Yahoo!'

YOW!

Leave the dishes in the sink, Ma

Leave the dishes in the sink

Each dirty plate will have to wait

Tonight we're going to celebrate

Leave the dishes in the sink

(A crazy musical interlude came on as Royce & company did a silly dance before vocals continued)

Si began 'a fiddling

And the dancing was begun

Then Grandpa took his coat off

And he yelled, 'Partners everyone!'

So each one picked a partner

And they counted out, 'One, two'

And Ma she twirled so pretty

They all hollered, 'Yahoo!'

YOW!

Leave the dishes in the sink, Ma

Leave the dishes in the sink

Each dirty plate will have to wait

Tonight we're going to celebrate

Leave the dishes in the sink

And while they all were dancing

The door blew open wide

And everybody stopped

And Sergeant Joey stepped inside

He shouted out, 'Attention!'

And everybody knew

To bother with the dishes

Was not the thing to do

YOW!

Leave the dishes in the sink, Ma

Leave the dishes in the sink

Each dirty plate will have to wait

_Tonight we're going to celebrate_

Leave the dishes in the sink

The song ended with a hilarious cacophony of music & sound effects like horns, followed by a bugle horn which made like a foghorn noise. Everybody – from Tamika & Jeremiah to the whole audience – guffawed & clapped loudly, hugely enjoying the group's comedy antics. Tamika hardly saw this side of Royce, thinking he was always serious in nature.

Seeing him doing something utterly hilarious made her see him in a new perspective.

It also made her love him more.

Royce, Hal, Daphne & their troupe cleared the stage to allow the girls to take the floor.

Moana Kealoha, Merida Fleming, Rapunzel Benice & Anna & Elsa Sugimoto came on stage, each one wearing blue coveralls & a red handkerchief with white polka dots wrapped around their heads for the first half of their time. It was in honor of the iconic 'Rosie the Riveter' image, a symbol that inspired women to get out & work to help support the men who went to war from that era in time. The girls perform popular songs of that genre like 'Praise the Lord & Pass the Ammunition', 'Coming In On A Wing & A Prayer', & others that fit the theme.

Their last song for the first part of their performance is – naturally – 'Rosie the Riveter', in which Pascal will go & handle the 'riveting' sound next to a mic as the girls do vocals.

A musical intro gets them going:

All the day long, whether rain or shine

She's a part of the assembly line

She's making history, working for victory

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage

Sitting up there on the fuselage

That little frail can do more than a male can do

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

Rosie's got a boyfriend, Charlie

Charlie, he's a Marine!

Rosie is protecting Charlie

Workin' overtime on the riveting machine

When they gave her a production 'E'

She was as proud as a girl could be!

There's something true about

Red, white & blue about

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

(An interlude commenced before the ladies resumed with the remainder of the song)

All the day long, whether rain or shine

She's a part of the assembly line

She's making history, working for victory

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage

Sitting up there on the fuselage

That little frail can do more than a male can do

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

Rosie's got a boyfriend, Charlie

Charlie, he's a Marine!

Rosie is protecting Charlie

Workin' overtime on the riveting machine

When they gave her a production 'E'

She was as proud as a girl could be!

There's something true about

Red, white & blue about

Rosie (brrrrrrt) the Riveter

Once the song was over, the girls went backstage to change really quick into their second pair of outfits for said part of their performance. Pascal, in the meantime, absorbed the applause the audience gave the girls & even bowed to everyone.

When Moana, Merida, Rapunzel, Anna & Elsa reemerged, they were each in an olive green soldier's uniform, complete with hat just like those from World War II were attired in. On this second part of their performance, the girls sing tunes of military-related themes like 'Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning', 'Buckle Down, Buck Private', 'Why Do They Call A Private A Private?', & more. They also did various tunes as done by one of their favorites: the Andrews Sisters, some of which were done with Eugene or Kristoff when called for a duet, doing their version of Bing Crosby, who teamed with the sister trio on numerous occasions.

In closing out their part of the show, the girls do a song the Andrews Sisters recorded on October 18th of 1941, less than two months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Starting out with a bugle call, the girls give their final performance of the day:

Any bonds today?

Bonds of freedom

That's what I'm selling

Any bonds today?

Scrape up the most you can

Here comes the freedom man

Asking you to buy a share of freedom today

Any stamps today?

We'll be blessed

If we all invest

In the U.S.A.

Here comes the freedom man

Can't make tomorrow's plan

Not unless you buy a share of freedom today

(Anna Sugimoto stepped out & sang the next four lines, with the girls assisting on two of them)

The tall man with the high hat & the whiskers on his chin

Will soon be knocking on your door & you ought to be in

The tall man with the high hat will be coming down your way

Get your savings out when you hear him shout 'Any bonds today?'

(Anna Sugimoto rejoined the others before Rapunzel Benice stepped out for the next verse)

Any bonds today?

Bonds of freedom

That's what I'm selling

Any bonds today?

Scrape up the most you can

Here comes the freedom man

Asking you to buy a share of freedom today

(Rapunzel Benice rejoined the others to let Moana Kealoha step out to take over for the next verse)

Any bonds today?

All you give

Will be spent to live

In the Yankee way

Scrape up the most you can

Here comes the freedom man

Asking you to buy a share of freedom today

(A patriotic musical interlude came on for a moment before the girls ended their last number for the day)

Won't you buy some bonds today?

Oh yes, we'll all be blessed

If we all invest

In the U.S.A.

Here comes the freedom man

Can't make tomorrow's plan

Not unless you buy a share of freedom today

The Benice, Fleming, Kealoha & Sugimoto ladies receive a grand applause from the crowd as they grin & salute like actual soldiers in appreciation before exiting the stage. Royce came up & announced to the audience that while the show may be over, there was still the fireworks display up ahead that is to commence at 8:00 in the evening.

He urged everyone to use the time to order food, enjoy the slots & other activities before the fireworks finale.

Everyone in the room did exactly that.

**EPILOGUE** **#1**

_Outside the Manuelito Casino & Hotel, 8:30 p.m.:_

After everyone got themselves a little nourishment, played the slots & even went to their rooms for a quick change in wardrobe, they all came outside to rows of lawn chairs that were set up to allow the people a grand & unobstructed view of the fireworks once they began. Some brought out picnic blankets, preferring to lay on those with their families instead but still getting a spectacular sight.

Elinor & her party went with the blanket idea themselves, setting theirs close to one another & lying down to see the evening's display once it was to start. Dennis, Stephanie, Patricia, Nathan, Royce, Tamika, Hal, Daphne & Jeremiah sat with them.

Maximus, Sven & Angus joined them & enjoyed their dinner in the nicest weather & the best company.

During a pause in the fireworks, Jeremiah turned to Patricia & Nathan.

"So…_you _are two of the kindhearted souls that took Eugene, Rapunzel & each of their friends under their wing when they arrived/awoke into the modern world", he said, not a question.

"Guilty as charged!", Patricia & Nathan said with grins as Jeremiah smiled.

"And _you're _really a shaman who always knew who they were", Nathan says, also not a question.

Jeremiah nodded.

"Consulting with Kristoff's friend for a long time & earning his utmost trust, we share everything together", he says, not denying it. "It must've been rough for them at first, but they've had your guidance to help them adapt to their new surroundings. Most importantly, they had your _love_."

"And that love was shared with a selected few who gave it in return, Jeremiah", Stephanie said. "Dennis & I are all too happy to be part of their group."

A nod from Dennis was all that was needed to punctuate her statement.

"When next any of you people speak to or see the rest of their adoptive family members, please send them all my best", the shaman asks.

"No sooner said than done", Patricia says as the others nodded.

Royce, Tamika, Hal & Daphne had a little conversation of their own.

"Unbelievable", said Daphne. "Those from another place & time not only adapt to our modern-day era, they've all helped _save _it several times over. The past few weeks were certainly no exception."

"Who knew, hon", Hal said. "On _this _occasion, they saved _more _than just the world: they also saved both of our _businesses_, as well as many of our _lives_ in the process."

"That's true, Hal", Royce said. "It was a harrowing experience for us all, & we _did _lose some good people during that incident, but as bad as it was, it _always _could've been a _lot_ worse."

Hal, Daphne & even Tamika nodded, knowing the young Navajo/medicine man was right.

"How ironic, Royce", Tamika said. "I've always wanted you to remember your past & take up the mantle of your ancestors, & our properties & livelihood get _saved _by people that are actually _from _the past! Who knew?"

Royce grinned in amusement & appreciation.

"Who indeed, Tamika", he said. "We owe those people _big-time_. It makes you wonder: who's _other _lives are they going to help save from turmoil, & what other _dangers_ will they face in the future?"

"As with whether or not you'll take up the mantle of medicine man when or if a need should arise, we'll let Father Time himself decide", Tamika said. "As for right now…we'll let them live in the moment of the present."

"I'll drink to _that_, my love!"

Tamika smiled & toasted her lover with a glass of one of their finest wines.

By then, the evening's fireworks resumed & were seen so much better now that the sun has finally set: beautiful color designs of all patterns lit up the sky, giving it & the ground a luminous glow. During the display, Rapunzel, Elsa, Merida, Moana & all the rest wondered the same thing Royce & Tamika discussed: who else will they meet that could very well learn of their true origin/nature, & will they be friend or foe? What other adventures _will _they share as they face an uncertain future, be it by themselves or as a group? And what about the Earth's monsters should they ever cross paths again, whether it be Mothra, the Gargantuas, Godzilla, or _any _of them?

Whatever path their lives go from this moment forth, there are things they _know _to be certain: they _have _adopted well to the present day world & made several good friends doing so; they will fight whatever injustice they encounter, be it by human hands or rampaging monster; they will continue to learn about the 21st Century customs & more of the planet's history as they go along, making them more efficient as modern-day citizens.

But most of all, each of them _love & adore _their adoptive families – Benice, Fleming _and _Sugimoto – with all of their hearts, & will do _anything _for them.

Plus, their bonds in friendship will only thrive & grow stronger with every passing day.

Like Tamika Nizhoni said, what they'll face in the future is for Father Time to determine.

Right now, they shall live in the moment & take it one day at a time.

Another fabulous group of fireworks erupted, forming in the pattern of a waving American flag.

Everyone saluted to that glorious sight.

**EPILOGUE #2**

_Rikers' Island Prison, The Bronx, New York City, Tuesday, July 11__th__, 10:50 p.m.:_

Established in 1932, this facility has been the holding pen for some of the worst inmates to ever grace its walls & corridors: competition from inmates & prison guards is fierce, & even the slightest error can prove to be fatal to any & all inmates that step out of line. Sometimes an inmate doesn't have to do anything at all to cause trouble: simply the mere _sight _of one can begin a brawl that can quickly escalate into a full-scale free-for-all, getting God-knows how many people sent to the infirmary – or the morgue.

It was announced back in March that the famous prison will be all but closed in close to a decade due to financial problems.

But for right now, it still housed thousands of inmates.

One of those inmates currently taking residence is Donald J. Trump: business conglomerate & reality television host of NBC's 'The Apprentice'.

He was one of the two final candidates for the presidency of the 2016 elections.

Until evidence of collusion with Russia presented to Congress put the brakes to & shattered his dreams of being America's next ruler.

Now he was an inmate wearing orange, _taking _orders from armed guards instead of _giving _them to anyone in his would-be administration. He sits in the mess hall, which was all but deserted sans himself & a pair of armed guards in the rear, concealed in near-darkness except for the spotlight that shone upon him & a good twelve feet in front of him.

Having taken a seat at one of the dining tables with his wrists in shackles, Trump called over to the guards behind him who were there but couldn't see.

"So…kindly tell me why I'm even _in _here? It _is_ almost time for 'lights out', after all!", he says.

"Oh, don't worry…what _we _have to say shouldn't take too long", said a voice – female – in front of him.

Trump looked straight ahead at the voice. It sounded eerily familiar.

When she stepped into the spotlight, his suspicions were proven true: standing before him was a woman who was in her best attire even in her late 60s, wearing a blue business suit & a head of short-styled blonde hair with lips as red as blood. She stared hard at Trump with a face that was as hard as it was glamorous.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 45th President of the United States.

"I have to say, I'm _surprised _to see you here", Trump says. "What…you came all this way to _gloat?_"

"Hardly", Hillary says. "I'm simply here to grant you that _request _you made only a few months ago."

Before Trump could answer, another female voice caught his attention, which _also _came from the darkness.

"I've been _told _you wanted to _see _me!"

"Oh? And who might _you _be, exactly?", Trump called out.

From out of the darkness & into the light, Elsa Sugimoto came in full view, attired in her Mechagodzilla outfit & one of her guns placed upon her left arm.

"I'm the 'idiot' who allowed Godzilla to swim away when I had the chance to _freeze _him!", she said firmly, her face stony as she spoke to the one-time presidential candidate.

As she spoke, Anna Sugimoto, Rapunzel Benice, Moana Kealoha, Elinor & Merida Fleming, Stephanie Beatrice & Dennis, & General Danielle Hale all came into view as another light shone down from above.

Like always, Pascal was on his master/friend's shoulder, his flesh turned red in anger at the man in orange.

Each of them had faces that indicated they were _not _glad to see him, even if they volunteered to do so.

"I _know _you folks!", Trump says, indicating Elsa & company. "You all performed concerts to help raise money for all those that lost homes/businesses during monster attacks! And General Hale – you were once a _colonel _in the U.S. Army before graduating to general status only last year!"

"Well…I suppose you're not a _complete _idiot!", said Anna.

Trump ignored the insubordination from the younger Sugimoto sister.

"And yet, that's exactly what _you _called Elsa here, from what we understand!", Dennis told Trump.

"For _good reason_, fella!", Trump said in defense. "That suit she wears _is_ one that belongs to the Mechagodzilla crew – a team whose sole purpose is to _eliminate _the world's greatest _threat! _And what does _she _do?! She lets Godzilla _swim off _after causing millions of dollars in damages, & God-knows how many lives taken in Los Angeles! And _because _of her decision, many _more _people were lost _and _property damage in the millions were caused! Along _with _Los Angeles, there was _also _Osaka, Paris, Moscow, Pyongyang & Sydney – the latter of which _I _was in _attendance _at & nearly _lost _my _life _back then!"

"I was there _myself_, Donald, don't forget!", Hillary adds. "Don't make it just about _you_, like you always do!"

"Then you should _also _understand that was little miss Sugimoto here had done was _unforgivable!_", Trump pouted, looking directly at the Snow Queen. Elsa gave a hard stare back & never flinched.

"Major Derek Synapse made a similar argument to Elsa about letting Godzilla go when _he _stated she should've froze him!", Rapunzel said. "It didn't bother her _then_, & it never _will! _She made her choice, & she is _sticking _with it!"

"Elsa here did what _she _thought was best, Mr. Trump!", General Hale replied. "She knew who the _real _enemies were at the time, & acted on her own good judgment! What's more, she has the courage to _live _with the consequences of her actions like _all _good soldiers!"

"Really?", Trump fumed. "Can she live with the fact that thousands of people weren't as fortunate to survive such an encounter by Godzilla & the like – up to & _including_ the lives that were lost in Moscow & Pyongyang?"

"The lives lost in Pyongyang _especially _don't bother her _or _us, mister!", Merida says. "All _they _did was test-fire their missiles with blatant disregard for anyone's safety, _including _Japan, where Elsa's family lives at! You really think she feels guilty about a cold-hearted regime who wanted to be a nuclear power & cause untold destruction themselves?"

"Were _I _president, I would've rained down fire & fury upon North Korea if they kept on threatening America or _any _of its allies, including Japan! I would've _also _done the very same thing to those islands in the south Pacific, where Godzilla & those _other _monsters made their home at, had they kept up their rampages!"

"_That's _your solution to problems, mister?! Dropping _nukes _upon them?!", Elinor snapped. "Only a complete & utter _madman _would even _consider _such a heinous, idiotic thing! Not even our Russian friends would go so far as to use a nuclear weapon on Godzilla _or _those other creatures! They _know _the dire consequences of _that _action!"

"_What _Russian friends? You people _have _no Russian friends, unlike me!", Trump argued.

"Is that right?", the group all said in unison as Stephanie whistled behind them.

The group split in the middle to allow four newcomers to enter the foray: they were two men & two women, as two of them – a man & a woman – were attired in their uniforms.

Trump couldn't believe it, as he recognized most of them.

"Sergei Yeltsin? The Russian ambassador?", he says.

"The very same", Sergei said as he introduces his party. "My assistant & bodyguard Anastasia, police colonel Boris Romanoff, & Red Army colonel Malvina Semenov. We four are _good _friends to these fine people here."

"Resourceful, bold in battle, understanding, compassionate, moral…in short, _they _are everything _you _are _not!_", Anastasia says, with the three other Russians nodding.

"So what brings _you _people here from Moscow?", Trump asks, still not believing the dilemma.

"It was at request from Madame President Hillary Clinton herself", Boris says. "She wished to fulfil your _own _request to see Miss Elsa Sugimoto here, & since we are close friends with said person, when Madame President asked, we couldn't refuse…and here we are. I must say: this is fitting place for a man who has committed _treason _against his own motherland & all its people! Even Bratva boss Pyotr Lipovsky was _never _so reckless as to betray his country _or _his people! He _loved _his Mother Russia – possibly even more than _we _do, crime figure or not!"

"I understand that it was _Pyotr _who gave you folks that false information, indicating that I _colluded_ with Russia in order to get inside the White House, is that it?"

"There was nothing 'false' about it, Mr. Trump!", Malvina says. "Everything found on your collusion with our Mother Russia was in Pyotr's files, which he lead us to _willingly _before he died in Osaka last year! And even though he _did _go down the wrong path in life, he _still _had more honor in just his _pinky _finger than _you _have in your _pathetic excuse_ for a body! And _that _is why _you_ are now in _here_, while Miss Hillary Clinton is President of America!"

"And you have no one to blame for it but _yourself!_", Moana said. "A man who would sell-out his own country to a foreign power just to gain it himself not only _doesn't _make him a man, it makes him a traitorous & soulless _animal! That_ is something we will _not tolerate!_ What – you thought that if you _had _become president, people would follow you like an obedient dog on a leash? _Guess again!_ The people of this country may seem like weak puppets that you can all but manipulate, but when push comes to shove, they _will _stand strong & _resist_ with every inch of their being – and they let you _know _it! To be honest, Pyotr actually did you a _favor _by exposing you & your treason to America!"

"Here's _another _interesting fact that you might not have been aware of!", Anna adds. "Do you know that Sergei, Anastasia, Boris & Malvina here have even _less love _for _their _president Vladimir Putin than the majority of people _here _have for _you?_ Because they _know _that Putin is as much of a dictator as the late Kim Jong Un, who _kills _his own people just because he _can!_ Had _you _been president, you would've been nothing more than Putin's _puppet_, dangling on strings! Consider yourself _fortunate _that those strings were _cut _just in time!"

"But yet…_these _four still have to _live _with someone like Putin in Russia, & they can't do anything about it!", said Trump, trying to gain the upper hand. "It's too bad they can't get rid of _him _so easily like _this _country unfairly did _me!_"

"Oh, I don't think Sergei & the rest have _too _much to worry about with Putin running Russia!", Rapunzel says. "Fact of the matter is…Putin is _afraid _– absolutely _scared _– of Madame President Clinton here, so we doubt he's going to be misbehaving anytime soon! He _knows _what will happen if he _does!_"

Even with these people going against him, Trump _refuses _to back down, much less show any fear to them.

"It's a shame they had to _do _this to me – an innocent man…", Trump says, showing his cuffed hands. "Who _only _wanted to make America great again! I could've done that, & yet…crooked Hillary here is going to lead the country in the _wrong direction_, unlike me! Just wait & see: when she sends this country going up in flames, _then _you'll see that I was right all along, & by then, you'll be _very _sorry for putting me in here with _these _monsters that roam in this place!"

"_Your _America is one we can do _without!_", Stephanie said. "I've _seen _on the internet what you planned on doing if you _were _put inside that White House, mister: building a _wall _along the Mexican border in order to keep out refugees that only wished to seek asylum & safety, banning trans-military soldiers who boldly serve our country, dissolving the community of LGBTQ people, mocking those with disabilities, spreading bigotry & hate among those _you _believe don't live up to _your _example…it's _disgusting_, Mr. Trump! And you say that a creature like _Godzilla _is a monster?! Believe it or not, he & those other monsters have done us a _huge _favor in not only ridding our planet of those that wished to all but _conquer _us from beyond the stars, but also right here at home – first in Pyongyang, then in Syria when they disposed _two _of the world's most heinous dictators that mankind has ever seen – Kim Jong Un & Bashar Al Assad! There won't be a _single tear _shed for either of them _anywhere _here in the U.S., or with any of our allied countries! And whether you accept it or not, Mr. Trump, this planet is as much _their _home as it is ours, so get _used _to the idea of sharing Earth with them! Finally, you want to know what a _real _monster looks like? It's simple: take a _good, long _look in the _mirror!_"

Trump stared hard at Stephanie, who showed no sign of fear anywhere on her person.

"Madame President, I really see no point in arguing with this man any further", Dennis says. "_Especially _since he possesses the brain of a rampaging 2-year-old, who has difficulty in comprehending even the simplest of facts."

"I'll show _you _who's a rampaging 2-year-old!", Trump barked, rising from his seat & ready for a fight.

"_Sit down!_", Elsa snapped, raising her left arm as her ice was ready to fire & stopping Trump on the spot.

"You wouldn't _dare_…"

"Wouldn't she?", her friends all said as President Clinton raised her hands to the guards in the rear to simply stay calm, asking them to lower their shotguns, which they do.

"Sit. Down. _Now!_", Elsa said fiercely, scowling her eyes & gritting her teeth.

"Mr. Trump, I _strongly _suggest you _do _what she _tells _you to!", General Hale says.

Trump saw _no _sympathy _or_ mercy on the face of Elsa or _any _of her friends, & staring down the barrel of her gun made him _more_ nervous.

And _scared_: one thing Trump hates more than anything are females that are brave & strong enough to stare him down without flinching. Madame President Hillary Clinton was bad enough, but now he faces a whole _multitude _which aren't impressed _or _intimidated by him in the slightest.

Wisely, he _does _sit back down, relieving the tension in the room.

Once things settled down, President Clinton responded to Dennis.

"In reference to your statement before, Dennis, yes – I think we've made our points rather clear, even if _he's _too blind to see them himself. Let's get you folks back to Manhattan, where Patricia & the boys are all waiting."

"Gladly!", Rapunzel said. "My _flesh _is beginning to crawl, being in the same room as _him!_"

As they turn to head for the exit, Trump gets in one last word.

"Fine – walk away! But _you'll _see I was _right _when we face devastation from Crooked Hillary..._and _Godzilla!"

"Tell it to someone who _cares_, blubber!", Moana says.

"Yeah, have a nice _life_…_sentence_, that is!", Merida adds, getting giggles from the group.

Before they were encased in darkness again, Pascal did his Robert De Niro stint again by pointing his two fingers at his eyes before doing so at Trump, who stared at the little lizard dumbfounded.

A buzz & opened/closed steel door later, they were all gone from the room.

Finally, Trump was alone in the room sans the two guards behind him.

"Guards, I'm ready to go back to my cell now, if you don't mind", he says to them.

"Actually…Madame President Clinton helped to arrange something special _just _for you, mister", said guard #1.

Before Trump could ask what it was, another light shone from above to reveal a cot with pillow & blankets all laid out in front of him just twelve feet away.

"And what's _this?_ You don't actually expect me to _sleep _here! This is the _mess hall!_", Trump fumed.

"That's _exactly _where you'll be sleeping on this night…inmate!", said guard #2. "But don't you worry: you'll be having some…company to keep you occupied."

At that moment, the lights all went out & plunged the room in total darkness. Five seconds later, one of the big television monitors upon the wall lit up & began playing a video with sound.

It displayed video footage of Godzilla, Rodan, Gaira & Sanda razing through & destroying North Korea's capital city Pyongyang when they went on their rampage a year ago in the one-time hermit country. The carnage the monster quartet caused gave Trump the willies as he saw Kim's regime getting obliterated with hardly any effort.

Both guards started heading for the exit themselves.

"Good night, inmate!", said guard #1.

"And don't let the Godzilla bugs bite!", said guard #2 as they both laughed before exiting.

With the door locked shut, Trump was all alone in the room with the video footage his only companion.

Using the TV's light as his guide, Trump made his way over to the cot & tucked himself in under the covers.

Placing his head on the pillow, he used it & the blankets to try & block the sounds of destruction as best he can.

I didn't work: Trump could still hear every noise of North Koreans crying for mercy as Godzilla & company all made short work of the late Kim Jong Un's regime before doing so to the fat dictator himself.

The feed was scheduled to go on in a continuous loop throughout the evening.

His nerves on edge & trembling like a scared cat, Donald Trump did his best to get some sleep.

Godzilla's roar echoed through the room

For Donald Trump, it was going to be a _very _long, disturbing night.

**A note to the readers:**

What an _incredible journey _this has been!

It started out as a simple Disney / Toho story – 'Frozen / Godzilla: A Bold New World' – that I did in 2014 as part of my 60th anniversary tribute to Godzilla, never once realizing at the time that it would be expanded into an _entire _saga like the one you just finished: it was like discovering the 'Star Wars' or even the Marvel Cinematic Universes, as each story lead to another.

But that's what happened: shortly after putting 'A Bold New World' on the fan fiction site, I came up with ideas for combining both 'Brave' & 'Tangled' into the mix with stories that fit right in, thus creating a saga in which I am all but _proud _to have created. Not only did it have the Disney & Toho touch you would expect, but it also dealt with some modern-day events, such as the current crisis with North Korea, Iran & Russia, the 2016 presidential elections (which is _still _being investigated as of this typing), & giving the groups of Disney characters brand-new lives from their original times/eras right into the 21st Century, being adapted by three separate groups of people & living in different countries, learning new customs, defeating enemies they couldn't even begin to imagine, discovering the Earth's monsters from both then & now, receiving new last names & purposes in the world they've arrived in, & even visiting other foreign lands in the process.

_Never _have I done anything like this, & it remains to be seen whether or not I'll ever concoct such a saga like this again in the future. But should it happen again with any set of characters (be it Disney, Toho, anime or whatnot), I can _still _say that I couldn't be happier with what I accomplish these last few years as I created something using well-known characters from Disney _and _Toho in the greatest possible fashion, with adding the creatures from the popular video game 'Primal Rage' for extra good measure (and wouldn't it be cool to actually see the Japanese kaiju going one-on-one with the monsters from that video game, if only they were even larger than they were?).

For those that need to know which Disney / Toho stories have this connection, here's the list in its whole order:

Frozen / Godzilla: A Bold New World

Brave / War of the Gargantuas: Sibling Rivalry

Tangled / Mothra: Beasts & Beauties

Frozen / Godzilla II: Maidens & Monsters

Brave / War of the Gargantuas: Honeymoon Havoc (short story)

Tangled / Mothra: Catastrophic Concert (short story)

Frozen / Godzilla: Prehistoric Peril (short story)

Frozen / Rodan: Birthday Bash (short story)

Moana / Mothra: Elemental Enemies

Creatures & Damsels: Russian Roulette

Creatures & Damsels: Vive La France

Creatures & Damsels: Endgame

Creatures & Damsels: Roam on the Range

My other two Disney / Toho stories, 'The Little Mermaid / Godzilla: A Friend In Need' & 'Tinker Bell / Mothra: Of Moths & Fairies', are in worlds of their own, with no connection whatsoever.

Just so you know.

A _special _mention should go to all the people who greatly inspired my OC (original characters) throughout this saga I created. Even though I made mention of them at the beginning of most of these stories, they do bear mentioning again, as it was once displayed in the movies from the 1930s & such, 'A good cast is worth repeating'.

Here are the characters I created, along with the people that inspired them:

Hidemi Sugimoto (Lea Thompson, actress/director best known for 'Back to the Future' trilogy)

Tajima Sugimoto (Howard Deutch, Lea Thompson's husband & director of 'Grumpier Old Men', 'Some Kind of Wonderful' & 'Article 99')

Akemi Sugimoto (Madelyn Deutch, Lea & Howard's elder daughter, singer/actress & music video director)

Emiko Sugimoto (Zoey Deutch, Lea & Howard's younger daughter, actress of 'Why Him?' & 'Flower')

Patricia Benice (Pat Benatar, singer of hits like 'We Belong', 'Treat Me Right', 'Invincible' & others)

Nathan Benice (Neil Geraldo, Pat Benatar's husband & guitarist)

Gus Fleming (Jason Statham, actor known for 'Fast & Furious', 'Transporter' franchises, 'The Meg' & more)

Sergei Yeltsin (David Nykl, actor best known as Dr. Radek Zelenka in 'Stargate Atlantis' & Anatoly Knyazev in the CW's 'Arrow')

Ronald Len Ernie (Ronald Lee Ermey, actor & former drill sergeant best known for 1987's 'Full Metal Jacket')

Malvina Semenov (Milla Jovovich, actress best known as Alice in 'Resident Evil' film franchise)

Pyotr Lipovsky (Dolph Lundgren, actor best known as Ivan Drago in 'Rocky IV')

Derek Synapse (Dean Winters, actor best known as Mayhem in 'Allstate' commercials & the Vulture in TV's 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine')

Danielle Hale (Catherine Dent, actress best known for FX series 'The Shield')

Stephanie Beatrice (Lady Gaga, Grammy Award-Winning singer & actress, starred in 'American Horror Story: Hotel' & 2018's 'A Star Is Born')

Present-day Maui (Corbin Bleu, singer/actor best known for 'High School Musical' trilogy)

Present-day Moana (Zendaya Coleman, singer/actress known for 'Shake It Up' & 'K.C. Undercover' TV shows & movies such as 'The Greatest Showman' & 'Spider-Man: Homecoming')

Clyde Winchester (Walton Goggins, actor best known for FX's 'The Shield' & 'Justified', & in movies such as 'Cowboys & Aliens', 'Predators' & others)

Hal Jenkins (Nathan Fillion, actor known for TV's 'Firefly', 'Serenity', 'The Rookie' & voicing Green Lantern Hal Jordan in numerous animated DC Comics films)

Daphne Jenkins (Daphne Zuniga, actress/director best known for TV's 'Melrose Place', 'One Tree Hill' & films like 'The Fly II' & 'Spaceballs')

With some characters, I really couldn't think of anybody to match with them, but I still hope you enjoyed _their _appearances as you did the others. And as for other characters like Phillipe Roache, Mugal, Tsuda, Mizaki & the like, _any_ Godzilla fan would know who-played-what. LOL

To wrap it all up, it was such an exhilarating & exciting ride these past few years. I won't lie: I will _miss _playing around with these characters I've created to intermingle with the already-existing ones, but I felt that this story 'Roam on the Range' is a _perfect _way to bring my Disney / Toho saga to a fitting conclusion. It won't be the end of me doing other Disney / Toho stories for the future, not by a long shot; just for this combo of 'Frozen', 'Brave', 'Tangled' & of course 'Moana', it's an ending that seems right. I hope all of you enjoyed this trip as much as I have in creating it, & if I've happened to inspire you any with this saga, then I of course am all the more happier for it.

Goodbye to all my OCs in this saga of mine…you were all a blast!

**MEMORIALS:**

George Grebe, World War II Veteran who Helped Build Roads on Long Island, 93 (1925-2018)

Gene Okerlund, Iconic Voice of Professional Wrestling, 76 (1976-2019)

Daryl Dragon, One-Half of Captain & Tennille Singing Duo, 76 (1942-2019)

Bob Einstein, Veteran Comedy Writer & Performer, 76 (1942-2019)

Herb Kelleher, Co-Founder of Southwest Airlines, 87 (19311-2019)

Pegi Young, Musician, School Founder & Ex-Wife of Neil Young, 66 (1952-2019)

Harold Brown, Defense Secretary for the Carter Administration, 91 (1927-2019)

Moshe Arens, Former Defense Minister for Israel, 93 (1925-2019)

Mary Ann Galterio, Member of Army Nurse Corps During World War II, 101 (1917-2019)

Lessie Brown, Believed to be Oldest Woman in America, 114 (1904-2019)

Jose Ramon Fernandez, Cuban Brigadier who Helped Train Country's Army, 95 (1923-2019)

Pawel Adamowicz, Polish Mayor & Lawyer, 53 (1965-2019)

Tyler Trent, Purdue Superfan who Fought Cancer, 20 (1998-2019)

Bernice Sandler, Women's Rights Activist, 90 (1928-2019)

Mel Stottlemyre, All-Star Pitcher & Coach for New York Yankees, 77 (1941-2019)

Carol Channing, Broadway Legend, 97 (1921-2019)

Mary Oliver, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet, 83 (1935-2019)

Mason Lowe, Popular Professional Bull Rider, 25 (1993-2019)

George Brady, Holocaust Survivor, 90 (1928-2019)

Glen Wood, NASCAR Legend who Co-Founded Wood Brothers Racing Team, 93 (1925-2019)

John Bogle, Vanguard Founder & Investing Legend, 89 (1929-2019)

Tony Mendez, Ex-CIA Spy who Inspired 'Argo' Movie, 78 (1940-2019)

Edwin Birdsong, Influential Funk Keyboardist, 77 (1941-2019)

Maxine Brown Russell, Country Music Hall of Famer was Member of the Browns Group, 87 (1931-2019)

Joseph Howze, First Black Bishop of 20th Century to Head a U.S. Diocese, 95 (1923-2019)

John Salter Jr., Civil Right Activist in 1963 Mississippi Segregation, 84

Bob Barger, World War II Veteran who Got College Degree at 96, 97

Bob Kuechenberg, Former Guard for NFL's Miami Dolphins, 71 (1947-2019)

Shirley Boone, Wife of 1950s Singer Pat Boone, 84

Kevin Fret, Gay Latin Music Star, 24 (1994-2019)

Leo P. Ribuffo, Scholar of American Political History who Studied Appeal of the Far Right, 73 (1945-2019)

Phil Masinga, Hero of South African Soccer, 49 (1969-2019)

Jo Andres, Filmmaker, Choreographer & Wife of Actor Steve Buscemi, 64 (1954-2019)

Alfred K. Newman, Navajo Code Talker During World War II, 94 (1924-2019)

Millicent Young, Female Pilot During World War II, 96

Masazo Nonaka, World's Oldest Man, 113 (1905-2019)

Andy Vajna, Hungarian-American Film Producer of 'Rambo', 'Total Recall' & Others, 74 (1944-2019)

Nathan Glazer, Influential Sociologist, 95 (1923-2019)

Lamia al-Gailani, Iraqi Archeologist, 80 (1938-2019)

Harris Wofford, Former Senator, Educator & Aide to JFK, 92 (1926-2019)

Fadi Rafeh, Suffolk Police Investigator, 38

Russell Baker, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Columnist, 93 (1925-2019)

Donald Lister, Navy Veteran in Korean War, 93

Oliver Mtukudzi, Music Legend of Zimbabwe & Africa, 66 (1952-2019)

Kaye Ballard, Comedian & Singer Starred in 'The Mothers-In-Law' TV Sitcom, 93 (1925-2019)

Norman Lewin, Aeronautical Engineer & Executive who Helped Forge Lunar legacy, 90

Michel Legrand, Multiple Oscar-Winning Composer, 86 (1932-2019)

Florence Knoll Bassett, Enormously Influential Architect & Interior Designer, 101 (1917-2019)

Tom Raum, Versatile Writer/Reporter for the Associated Press, 74 (1944-2019)

Peter Magowan, NFL Owner who Helped Keep Giants in San Francisco, 76 (1942-2019)

Jonas Mekas, Lithuanian Avant-Garde Director, 96 (1922-2019)

James F. Parker, Former Executive at Southwest Airlines, 72

Julius Campbell, Star of 'Remember the Titans' Fame, 65

Fatima Ali, Star of 'Top Chef' TV Program, 29

Wade Wilson, Former NFL Quarterback & Coach, 60 (1959-2019)

Rosemary Mariner, Pathbreaking Navy Pilot & Commander, 65 (1953-2019)

Harold Bradley, Country Music Hall of Famer & Key Music Row Figure, 93 (1926-2019)

Louisa Moritz, Film & Television Actress & Bill Cosby Accuser, 72 (1946-2019)

Jim McKean, Longtime MLB Umpire, 73 (1945-2019)

Kevin Barnett, Comedian & Co-Creator of FOX's 'Ref', 32 (1986-2019)

Windsor Davies, Actor Best Known for 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' TV Sitcom, 88 (1930-2019)

Charles Hynes, Former District Attorney from Brooklyn, 83 (1935-2019)

James Ingram, Grammy Award-Winning R&B Singer, 66 (1952-2019)

Neil Padron, Founder of Petland Discount Chain, 74

Kim Bok-dong, South Korean Woman who Spoke for Victims of Wartime & Slavery, 92 (1926-2019)

Miguel Civil, World's Leading Expert on Ancient Sumerian, 92 (1926-2019)

Leonard Dinnerstein, Expert on Anti-Semitism in America, 84

Stewart Adams, Inventor of Ibuprofen & Used Himself as Test Subject, 95 (1923-2019)

Kristoff St. John, Actor Best Known for 'Young & the Restless' Soap Opera, 52 (1966-2019)

Dick Miller, Veteran Character Actor Starred in 'Gremlins', 'The Howling' & Others, 90 (1928-2019)

Julie Adams, Actress Best Known for 1954's 'Creature From the Black Lagoon', 92 (1926-2019)

Neal James, Animal Planet's Banjo Man on 'Call of the Wildman' Program, 55

Ron Joyce, Co-Founder of Tim Horton's Doughnut Shops, 88 (1930-2019)

Bob Friend, Longtime Pitcher for Pittsburg Pirates, 88 (1930-2019)

Bob Massi, Real Estate Attorney & FOX News Legal Analyst, 67

George Klein, Legendary Memphis DJ & Best Friend of Elvis Presley, 83 (1935-2019)

Frank Robinson, Trailblazing MLB Manager & Hall of Fame Player, 83 (1935-2019)

Rocky Lockridge, Former Boxing Champion, 60 (1959-2019)

Steve Bean, Actor & Comedian, 58 (1960-2019)

Barbra Siperstein, Crusader for Transgender Rights, 76 (1942-2019)

Patrick Sloyan, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist for Gulf War Expose, 82 (1937-2019)

Sanford Sylvan, Five-Time Grammy Baritone Nominee who Created Major Opera Roles, 65 (1953-2019)

Rosamunde Pilcher, Bestselling British Novelist of 'The Shell Seekers', 94 (1924-2019)

John Dingell, Longest-Serving Congressman in U.S. History, 92 (1926-2019)

Albert Finney, Oscar-Nominated British Actor, 82 (1936-2019)

Frank Soliwoda, World War II Veteran who Fought in the Battle of the Bulge, 101 (1917-2019)

Christine Kay, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Editor for the New York Times, 54

Walter Jones, Congressman who Coined 'Freedom Fries' Phrase, 76 (1943-2019)

Joseph Sirola, Tony Award-Winning Actor & Producer, 89 (1929-2019)

Gordon Banks, World Cup-Winning English Goalkeeper, 81 (1937-2019)

Carmen Argenziano, Actor Best Known for 'Stargate SG-1' TV Series, 75 (1943-2019)

Ted Perry, Father of Country Star Faith Hill, 88

Pedro Morales, Legendary WWE Hall of Famer & First Hispanic Champion, 76 (1942-2019)

Heidi Toffler, Co-Author of Bestselling Novel 'Future Shock', 89 (1929-2019)

Mable Lee, Famed Tap Dancer & Queen of Soundies, 97 (1921-2019)

Betty Ballantine, Pioneer in Inventing the Modern-Day Paperback, 99 (1919-2019)

Joseph C. Koenenn, Former Arts Editor & Columnist for Newsday, 88

John Bohannon, Disc Jockey who Hosted 'The Jazz Café' on WRHU/88.7 FM, 82

Fred Kienle, Korean War Veteran & Former Mayor/Fire Chief of Lindenhurst, 87

Bruce A. Lister, Food Industry Executive, Hofstra Patron & World War II Veteran, 96 (1922-2019)

Andrea Levy, Bestselling British Author of 'Small Island', 62 (1956-2019)

Gene Littler, U.S. Open Champion & Hall of Fame Golfer, 88 (1930-2019)

Lee Radziwill, Younger Sister of Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, 85 (1933-2019)

Patrick Caddell, Pollster for Former President Jimmy Carter, 68 (1950-2019)

Wallace Broecker, Scientist who Popularized 'Global Warming' Term, 87 (1931-2019)

Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director at Chanel & Fendi Fashion Houses, 85 (1933-2019)

Don Newcombe, First Black Pitcher to Start a World Series Game, 92 (1926-2019)

Ethel Ennis, Baltimore's 'First Lady of Jazz', 86 (1932-2019)

Kjell Rasten, Husband & Manager of Actress/Comedian Charo, 79 (1940-2019)

Sean Milliken, Star of 'My 600-lb Life' Reality Show, 29

Bruno Ganz, Swiss Actor Known for Playing Adolf Hitler in 2004's 'Downfall', 77 (1941-2019)

Peter Tork, Bassist & Singer in 1960s Group The Monkees, 77 (1942-2019)

David Horowitz, Longtime TV Consumer Reporter, 81 (1937-2019)

Nick Cafardo, Longtime Boston Globe Baseball Writer, 62

Fred Foster, Record Producer & Song Publisher for Kristofferson, Parton & Others, 87 (1931-2019)

Brody Stevens, Stand-Up Comedian & Actor, 48 (1970-2019)

Clark Gable III, Actor, TV Host & Grandson of Clark Gable, 30 (1988-2019)

Stanley Donen, Director & Choreographer Best Known for 'Singin' In the Rain', 94 (1924-2019)

Mac Wiseman, Country & Bluegrass Singing Legend, 93 (1925-2019)

Jackie Shane, Pioneering Transgender Soul Singer, 78 (1940-2019)

Morgan Woodward, Actor Best Known for Roles in 'Dallas' & 'Gunsmoke', 93 (1925-2019)

Beverly Owen, Actress who was Original Marilyn in TV Sitcom 'The Munsters', 81 (1937-2019)

Jeraldine Saunders, Author who Inspired TV's 'The Love Boat', 95 (1923-2019)

Mark Hollis, Lead Singer of 1980s Synth-Pop Band Talk Talk, 64 (1955-2019)

Dick Churchill, Last Surviving Member of Real-Life World War II 'Great Escape' Team, 99

Bill Jenkins, Epidemiologist who Tried Ending Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, 73 (1945-2019)

Andre Previn, Four-Time Oscar-Winning Composer, 89 (1929-2019)

Lisa Sheridan, Actress Best Known for 'Halt & Catch Fire' & 'Invasion', 44 (1974-2019)

Charles Craig, Actor Best Known for 1968's 'Night of the Living Dead' (age not provided)

Edward Nixon, Brother of President Richard Nixon, 88 (1930-2019)

Carrie Ann Lucas, Disability Rights Advocate, 47 (1971-2019)

Nathaniel Taylor, Actor Best Known as Rollo on 'Sanford & Son' TV Sitcom, 80 (1938-2019)

Katherine Helmond, Actress Best Known for Roles on 'Soap' & 'Who's the Boss?', 89 (1929-2019)

Charles McCarry, Former Spy Turned Master Spy Novelist, 88 (1930-2019)

Zhores Alferov, Nobel Prize-Winning Russian Scientist, 88 (1930-2019)

Janice Freeman, Fan-Favorite Contestant in Season 13 of NBC's 'The Voice', 33

Ted Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings Legend, 93 (1925-2019)

Keith Flint, Vocalist/Dancer for Music Band the Prodigy, 49 (1969-2019)

Luke Perry, Actor Known for Television's 'Beverly Hills 90210' & 'Riverdale', 52 (1966-2019)

Donald Keene, Longtime Columbia Professor & Japan Scholar, 96 (1922-2019)

Marella Agnelli, Widow of Fiat Tycoon Admired for Style, 91 (1927-2019)

Jim Nicholson, Reporter Known for his 'Common Man' Obituaries, 76 (1942-2019)

Barry Kramer, Reporter who Covered Vietnam War for Associated Press, 78

Frank J. Nastro Sr., FDNY Firefighter who Witnessed Happy Land Tragedy in March 1990, 88

Tony Pike, Hotelier who Lived Hedonistic Lifestyle, 84

Yannis Behrakis, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist, 58 (1960-2019)

John Shafer, Legendary Northern California Vintner, 94

King Kong Bundy, Legendary Professional Wrestler, 61 (1957-2019)

Eusebio Pedroza, Boxing Legend who Held Featherweight Title for 7 Years, 62 (1956-2019)

Jerry Merryman, One of Three Inventors of the Hand-Held Pocket Calculator, 86 (1932-2019)

Tristan O'Tierney, Co-Founder of Mobile Payment Company Square, 35 (1983-2019)

Elly Mayday, Model Advocated for Body Positivity, 30

Jan Michael Vincent, Actor Best Known for 1980s TV Series 'Airwolf', 73 (1945-2019)

Robert DeProspero, Secret Service Agent who Protected 5 Presidents for 20 Years, 80 (1938-2019)

Michael Maroni, Esteemed Chef in Northport, 57

Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch in Turkey, 62 (1956-2019)

John W. Clark, World War II Veteran, 92 (1926-2019)

Dan Jenkins, Sports Writing Great & Bestselling Author, 89 (1929-2019)

Julia Ruth Stevens, Last Surviving Daughter of Baseball Great Babe Ruth, 102 (1916-2019)

Kelly Catlin, Silver Medal-Winning Olympic Cyclist, 23 (1995-2019)

Coutinho, 1962 Brazilian World Cup Winner, 75

Hal Blaine, Hall of Fame Hit-Making Drummer, 90 (1929-2019)

Birch Bayh, Former Indiana Senator who Authored Equal Rights Amendment Title IX, 91 (1928-2019)

Jed Allan, Actor Best Known for 'Santa Barbara' & 'Beverly Hills 90210', 84 (1935-2019)

Dick Dale, Musician Known as 'The King of the Surf Guitar', 81 (1937-2019)

W.S. Merwin, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet, 91 (1927-2019)

Johnny Lam Jones, Olympic Gold Medal Track Star who Played in the NFL, 60 (1958-2019)

Andre Williams, R&B Singer Known as the 'Godfather of Rap', 82 (1936-2019)

Estella O'Brien, Mother of Broadcast Journalist Soledad O'Brien (age not provided)

William C. Powers Jr., Law School Dean who Probed Enron Corruption, 72 (1946-2019)

Al Silverman, Co-Author of Football memoir that Became 'Brian's Song', 92 (1926-2019)

Alan Krueger, Economic Aide to Presidents Bill Clinton & Barrack Obama, 58 (1960-2019)

Kenneth To, Olympic Swimmer Hopeful, 26 (1992-2019)

Bernie Torme, Guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, 66 (1952-2019)

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Award-Winning Writer of 'Nate the Great' Children's Books, 90 (1928-2019)

Chuck Harmon, First African-American Player for the Cincinnati Reds, 94 (1924-2019)

Gerry Stickells, Former Tour Manager for Queen, Jimi Hendrix & Paul McCartney, 76 (1942-2019)

Charles Sanna, Inventor of Swiss Miss Cocoa, 101 (1917-2019)

Dominick J. Arena, Police Chief who Arrested Ted Kennedy After Chappaquiddick, 89 (1929-2019)

Nathan Lee Ramsey, Former Philadelphia Eagles Star Defensive Back, 77 (1941-2019)

Dan Blankenship, Treasure Hunter who Starred on 'The Curse of Oak Island', 95

Sydney Aiello, Survivor of Parkland School Shooting, 19

Eunetta Boone, Showrunner who Created UPN Comedy 'One on One', 63

Rachel Ingalls, Expatriate Author of 'Mrs. Caliban', 78 (1940-2019)

Rafi Eitan, Legendary Israeli Mossad Spy who Caught Adolf Eichmann, 92 (1926-2019)

John Buechler, Filmmaker & Special Effects Legend, 66 (1952-2019)

Larry Cohen, Cult Horror Film Writer & Director, 77 (1941-2019)

Mona Lee Brock, Counseled Suicidal Farmers in Crisis, 87 (1932-2019)

Jeremy Richman, Father of Sandy Hook Shooting Victim Avielle Richman (age not provided)

Scott Walker, Singer-Songwriter of Walker Brothers Singing Group, 76 (1943-2019)

Marty Noble, Covered Mets & Yankees for Newsday, 70

Calvin Desir, Survivor of Parkland School Shooting, 16

Clem Daniels, Former Running Back for the Oakland Raiders, 83 (1935-2019)

Ranking Roger, Vocalist for the English Beat & General Public Bands, 56 (1963-2019)

Dave White, Founding Member of 1950s Danny & the Juniors Doo-Wop Group, 79 (1939-2019)

Robert T. McDaniel, Member of the Tuskegee Airmen, 96 (1923-2019)

Michel Bacos, Hero Air France Pilot in 1976 Entebbe Hijacking, 95 (1924-2019)

Agnes Varda, Pioneering French New Wave Filmmaker, 90 (1928-2019)

Sydney Finkelstein, Educator for Half a Century & World War II Veteran, 95

Joe Flannery, Booking Manager for the Beatles who Helped Launch their Career, 87

Valery Bykovsky, Pioneering Soviet-Era Cosmonaut, 84 (1934-2019)

Henry Stern, Longtime Commissioner for NYC Parks, 83 (1935-2019)

Linda Gregg, Award-Winning Poet, 76 (1942-2019)

Ken Gibson, First Black Mayor of Major Northeast City, 86 (1932-2019)

Daniel De Francisco, World War II Veteran, 94

Nipsey Hussle, Grammy-Nominated Rapper, 33 (1985-2019)

Tania Mallet, Model/Actress Famous as Bond Girl Tilly Masterson in 1964's 'Goldfinger', 77 (1941-2019)

Arlene Howard, Mother of 9/11 Victim George Howard, 95 (1923-2019)

Kitty Tucker, Antinuclear Activist who Brought National Attention to Silkwood Case, 75 (1944-2019)

Billy Adams, Rockabilly Hall of Famer who Wrote & Recorded 1957's 'Rock, Pretty Mama', 79

Joe Bellino, Winchester Halfback who Became U.S. Navy's First Heisman Trophy Winner, 81 (1938-2019)

Bill Isles, Co-Founder of R&B Hitmaker Group the O'Jays, 78

Jerrie Cobb, America's First Female Astronaut Candidate, 88 (1931-2019)


End file.
